Penda Gota
by Tru Mel Meiko Mei Ling
Summary: Being written by Lord of Ki and myself. Chris x Sheva. Lured together with a friendly sparring session, things start to get a little deeper between themselves and the choices they make as they embark on a new mission.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Another fic being collabed by me and Lord of Ki/Darkside360!!

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_Penda Gota_

_--  
_

The ardent rays of the fiery sun above cloaked Sheva in a satisfying warmth; kissing her bronzed skin with a glowing tint.

A sparkling drizzle of sweat dotted her lean body while she sliced through the air with sharp kicks, moderate punches and exquisite somersaults

For about an hour, she passed the time doing this while waiting for a certain BSAA agent to join her in her activities.

They had planned to spar together today in the parking lot of an old abandoned building.

It had been a few months since Sheva last saw of that man. And due to the intensity of their mission, she actually doubted she'd ever see him again. Alone, that is.

Executing another perfect somersault, she resumed throwing punches.

She frowned to herself upon realizing how sloppy they were. "Ugh, still not good enough." she groused; her accented tone lowering, "How did I even get away with such awkward moves!?"

"Because you had a little help." a husky voice informed.

Whirling around, readying a kick, Sheva gave the visitor a small knowing smile. "Well, look who's finally made it!" she teased, placing a hand on her hip and looking up to the wall he sat atop.

"Chris! I didn't think you'd actually get here." she continued, and glanced at her watch. "You're still a bit late."

Hearing this, Chris chuckled politely, then hopped down from his perch. The items in his utility belt jingled as he landed. Its obsidian appearance melded seamlessly with the dark pants and gray top he wore, beneath a black vest. Fingerless gloves fit snugly around his hands and he lifted one to rub the back of his neck.

"Sorry about that. I had...a few loose ends to tie up." he added a bit distantly but still managed to give her a warm smile.

"Loose ends, eh? " Sheva flatly responded, turning her back to him. She understood his vague statement all too well.

But it was his business. Without saying another word, the bronzed woman continued her warm-ups.

Chris eyed her hesitantly.

His dusky eyes carefully trailed over the sun-kissed muscles of her shoulders; tickled playfully down the slope of her back and thrived about the swell of her curvaceous behind.

Absolute perfection.

A string of thoughts went through his mind, assimilating fascination with the faint desire of corruption.

And for one deceptive moment, he could taste the hotness of her skin on his lips as he licked them.

Feeling the heat of a wandering gaze that wasn't from the fiery globe above, Sheva turned to look behind her. "Chris?"

"Hmm?" he responded blandly, but his eyes were off in another direction.

"Is something wrong?" she inquired, appearing concerned; then her features became playful. "Don't tell me you're tired already."

" 'Tired?' " he scoffed "You've got to be kidding."

Sheva chuckled sarcastically a bit; her lips curving into a daring smile. "Hardly. We have a lot to practice today."

"Uh huh."

"And I don't want to continue this without you, but if you can't live up to your end of our agreement, then I'll go on without you!"

He sighed. "Calm down, I'm not going anywhere, Sheva. Just give me a few minutes, alright?" he added in a prompt tone. Then a faint smile tugged at his mouth. "I'm not a superhero, remember?"

Sheva only rolled her eyes and shook her head.

A breezy sound drifted from her as she resumed her warm-ups. She was counting, and didn't bother to give him a reply.

It crossed his mind he may have said either too little or too much.

But instead of an apology, he walked off near the off-side of the building.

Through her exercise, Sheva's curious eyes trailed over to the man's heavily built form. Speckles of rich sunlight accentuated his light skin and punctuated muscles as he began to remove his utility belt. Then, his vest.

Slow breaths escaped the observing woman as she paced her movements to focus more of her attention on the undressing male adjacent of her.

She watched him take off his gloves, then pause for a moment. The instant she saw his back starting to turn away from her, she darted her eyes elsewhere.

Sheva could have sworn she felt a sly smile from him burning into her flesh; causing her cheeks to tingle with fire.

'What are you doing?!' she silently scolded herself, ' You've got to keep your focus' she concluded, sneaking a glance towards him anyway. Much to her satisfaction, Chris had his shirt pulled halfway over his head.

Sheva unknowingly stopped in her training and unashamedly gazed at him. Her light brown eyes eagerly absorbed his rippling abs and solid pectorals dusted with brown curls as he lifted the shirt higher over his head.

Once he took it off, he ran a hand through his hair and flexed his chest; staring directly at her.

A tiny smile of accomplishment formed on his lips as he met eyes with her.

Sheva blinked, then played off her obvious ogling with a quip. "I said get ready, not strip! And we were supposed to start sparring over an hour ago!"

"Blame the heat." he commented simply, starting to head over to her.

"I'd rather blame you." she retaliated playfully.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Sheva." he responded, rolling his shoulders back and taking a readying stance.

Amused by his behavior, Sheva gave her comrade a delighted look "Oh, so you're ready now?"

"Yeah." he agreed, "Let's do this, partner."

'Partner?' Sheva's mind raced. She hadn't heard him call her, and only her, that title in a long while. She wondered how much sincerity it held.

Yet, inside, she was beaming, but on the outside, she only nodded promptly to Chris and also took a stance.

"Roger."

--

Hours passed as the two of them sparred. The invisible weight of the sun was evident on their sweat-dappled bodies as they engaged in their melee.

Every kick of Sheva's was either blocked or countered by Chris. She kept her feet steady and her movements agile while she avoided his retaliations of hay-makers and uppercuts.

Quick breaths melded into a chorus of pants as they fought. Both of them were almost evenly matched in terms of skill and patience.

Occasionally, they would lock hands and pressure the other into tiring to letting go first.

Chris was the one to best Sheva in terms of upper body strength, but she was able to catch him off guard with a lifted knee directly below his groin.

"Got you." she would whisper and they would separate, eager for another bout.

Another hour passed and fatigue had begun to wear on them.

"After this one, we'll take a short break, all right?" Chris declared, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm.

Sheva nodded promptly and flicked the matted strands of hair that lingered near her eyes out of her face.

"Sure." Then she quirked a taunting eyebrow. "Exhausted already, Chris? Certainly you have much more stamina than this."

He scoffed. "Yeah, well, it's not everyday you wake up and spar with someone more than 10 years younger than you."

"Don't give me that!" she laughed, masking the fact that she was catching her breath. Then suddenly, her tone was wrought with seriousness. "Are you leaving after this?"

Confused more than he was caught off guard, Chris gave the woman a dubious look.

"No. Why?"

"I wanted to know. We owe this to the both of us."

For some reason, hearing such a claim from her struck a chord hidden deep within him. Any words he would have said turned to silence, dancing on the tip of his tongue.

When he gave no answer, she continued on, lightening her tone slightly. "Anyway, the more we talk, the faster we'll get tired. So let's hurry and do this, all right? We're partners. To the end. Never forget that."

Chris still remained quiet, studying her attitude. She had shaken off her exhaustion and was instantly ready to fight.

The glittering sparkle in her eyes reached into his soul. The tenacity. The care.

He had become more and more astonished by this young woman as the minutes diminished with the steady descent of the sun.

A few hours more and it would be sunset.

But the glow of such a vision already basked thoughtfully within her hazel eyes.

"I never forgot." he responded, his tone airy as if he were reclaiming a distant memory.

She neared closer to him, still catching her breath. "Are you sure?" she asked, partially believing him and partially unsure.

One look into her eyes was all it took. One silent journey through her honest eyes was all his being needed.

His brows raised and his mouth opened in an expression of a freshly discovered yearning.

"Sheva..."

And at this point, he couldn't say no.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure." he declared in such a way as if he actually began to believe the words himself.

But the belief was always there. He just needed his partner to remind him of where they stood.

"Yeah, of course." he spoke up confidently, patting her firmly on the shoulder.

With a proud smile, she returned the gesture. "Good. Let's do this, Chris!" she cheered, readying her stance.

"Yeah... Let's go!" he announced, throwing her a heavy punch that she nearly dodged this time. Back-dashing, she tossed a taut short punch towards him as a fake, then kicked him in the shin.

Accurately, he threw another punch and hit her in the arm, but she absorbed the blow and clamped her hands down atop his shoulders.

Chris' mind was racing. He had seen her do this move many times before and knew how it would end. His heart beat a quick and powerful protest while he froze in anticipation. Part of him wondered if she'd take his head off while the other part didn't seem to mind very much if this was how he was going to go.

Speedily, she lifted herself onto him and hooked her legs around him, practically sitting atop his shoulders.

Instinctively, Chris' hands went upto her back and clutched the thin fabric of her clothing; his thick fingers lightly clawing down her the curve of her back.

Sheva jumped. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought Chris found this the perfect opportunity to steal a quick grope.

Her body tensed for a moment. She could feel the rapidness of his ragged breath seeping into the middle of her tight pants, turning the sweat on her thighs a tingling cold.

She squirmed a bit atop him and secretly waited for a sort of responsive signal from him. A signal that would allow them to trespass through unfound rapture, or to continue on as if nothing happened.

Unknown to her, Chris was contemplating the same and bit his bottom lip to control the urge to nuzzle against her.

But when no action was made after a few awkward seconds had passed, Sheva let her body fall backwards as she flipped Chris onto the ground.

Panting, she pushed herself up off the dusty concrete to look over at him. Her chest heaving, the shape of his name escaped her.

Laying a few inches away from her, Chris gave no response, but only stared into space.

Then, he sat up and sent his gaze over to the woman that called him.

He was surprised, although he probably shouldn't have been, to see her on all fours looking at him with eyes wide with concern.

As well as another emotion.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" she wondered, starting to stand.

His words were stolen from him as his gaze rested upon her. The sun cast her in a vibrant glow that was only greatly enhanced by the strength in her eyes.

"I'm fine." he stated. "Are you...?"

"I'm fine too. I'm still in top shape." she boasted, attempting a smile. "You, on the other hand, have slacked a bit, I hate to say. You need to be a bit more well-rounded, Chris. Don't be afraid to use your whole body as a weapon if you have to." she stated broadly, ignoring the twinge of embarrassment from the reminder of where her own words had the two of them ending up a few minutes earlier.

Chris chuckled lowly to himself and leveled his eyes elsewhere. "Copy that."

"Come on." Sheva began softly, offering her hand to him. "Let's take our little break. Then after that, back to sparring."

"Looking forward to it." he agreed courteously back, taking her hand. But instead of standing to his feet, he yanked her down to the ground with him and put her in a slightly loose sleeper hold. "And you should work on putting more force behind your strikes!" he teased.

-

To be continued by Ki

Can I goto sleep now?! Lol

-Mel


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This chapter incredibly done by Lord of Ki/Darside360!

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Chapter 2

After procuring drinks from a nearby grocery store, Chris and Sheva preceded back to the parking lot, side by side, the awkwardness of the situation that had happened just minutes previous now being slowly replaced by the old amity that had saw them through many a dangerous situation.

Chris took a long swig of the canned energy drink he'd gotten from the store; the zesty, cherry flavored fluid perfectly doing its job, filling him with a sudden rejuvenating burst..

"You shouldn't drink too many of those you know." Sheva commented, taking small sips from the bottled water she'd purchased, choosing a more natural method for reinvigorating her body, "They're good for a pretty decent burst, but the crashes aren't really worth it."

Chris shrugged and gulped down more of his drink. "Haven't had any bad experiences so far. But really, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Well I've heard drinking too much can make certain things…weaker over time…"

This gave Chris a slight pause.

_Certain things?_

He looked at Sheva with a curious expression.

"What are 'certain things'?" he asked hesitantly, taking another sip.

Sheva smiled inwardly, catching on to what Chris may have been most concerned about, and gave him a grave look.

"Things you may find important…" she said, momentarily glancing downward at his pants.

She got the hilarious end result she had wanted from her words when Chris suddenly let out a sputtering cough, choking on the fluid he'd already had in his mouth and spit it out onto the pavement.

Sheva couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so hard; doubled over and having to hold her knees to keep herself up.

_Men!_ They always showed such panic when they thought something might be making their 'equipment' a little faulty.

When she and Chris had both managed to recover from their completely opposite involuntary outbursts, the older man was now giving her a none too pleased expression.

"Very funny…" he muttered, "Now if only if you could punch as hard as you joke."

Sheva ignored the barb, and chuckled. "I'm sorry Chris. Just looking out for you like always."

Chris smiled. "Yeah, thanks. But I think you were better at it when monsters were trying to rip my throat out."

Chuckling, Sheva landed a playful slap on his hardened abs; her hand lingered there for a moment, stealing a quick grope just to see how rock solid his body really was, and she rather quickly found herself very… _impressed_ by just how firm he turned out to be.

She quickly withdrew her hand, hoping that he couldn't see the fire that burned in her cheeks, and her mouth curved into a playful smirk.

"Which I have yet to get real 'thank you' for by the way." she said, jokily chiding him.

Chris shook his head, knowing she was only teasing him, but that didn't change the fact she was sort of right.

After they'd done in Wesker, they had only managed to stay together for an incredibly short debriefing for HQ before they both had to return to their respective branches of BSAA for yet another debriefing.

He thought back on their parting…

"I'll see you soon." was what he had said, they were just getting ready to head their separate ways; their horrific mission finally over.

And he remembered the look she'd given him then. Remembered the obvious sadness because their time together was at an end, but more then anything, he remembered the hope glimmering in her eyes.

She had offered him her hand. "You promise?"

Chris had smiled at her then, grasped her hand, put it down and gently pulled her into a hug.

He remembered her soft gasp of surprise and the feathery feeling of her tight, small frame plastered against his body. He remembered her hesitate, but then, slowly, she returned the hug, wrapping her arms around his waist.

There was no need for formal protocol anymore.

They were partners.

They were friends.

"I promise."

Chris was suddenly snapped out of his idyllic reminiscing when Sheva tapped his shoulder. "Did you hear me?" she asked, giving him a questioning stare.

Chris shook his head with an embarrassed smile, "Sorry, I spaced out for a minute there. What?"

Sheva chuckled as she said, "I asked you, 'How is Jill'?"

The question slightly surprised Chris, he didn't know why, but for some reason it had caught him off guard, and he fumbled with his answer.

"S-She's fine. A little shaken up from everything still, but she's coping. Why'd you ask?"

Sheva shrugged. "I was just wondering if she was okay. I can't imagine how awful she must still feel about what that bastard Wesker made her do…"

"Wesker…"

The very mention of that son of a bitch's name made Chris clinch his teeth. Whatever Hell really was, he hoped by the grace of God Wesker was experiencing every agonizing bit of it.

"Don't worry about it." he said simply, "Trust me when I say she's a strong woman."

Sheva suddenly became quiet as they continued the rest of their walk to the secluded parking lot, and again Chris wondered if he'd maybe said just a bit too much or not enough.

They entered the parking lot and Chris placed his drink down on the ground. He again pulled off his shirt, once more allowing the sun's shimmering rays to flow over his body. And again he felt a pair of light brown eyes intently observe him from behind, but he couldn't say he minded much at all. Particularly because it wasn't at all like he hadn't taken the liberty to stare at her nice ass every now and again when he got the chance, so he could hardly find fault with her returning the favor with her ogling of his own body.

_Well at least you've still got it Mr. Redfield. The gals apparently don't quite think you're an old man just yet._

He smiled at the thought, though he also cringed slightly.

Christ, it felt so odd being thirty-five.

It would be an understatement to say that he was surprised he'd lasted this long. His and Sheva's was a very dangerous field, and their little African safari proved just how insanely hazardous the situations they faced could become.

Tossing his memories of Kijuju aside, Chris refocused on the here and now.

Confidently, he flexed his muscles and began to slowly approach Sheva, who now stood a few yards away from him, her mouth curved into a confident smirk; looking not the least bit intimidated and he definitely didn't expect nor want her to be.

She'd said it from the beginning, she wasn't as big as him, but she could indeed hold her own. And Sheva had most definitely backed that up, even more then he could've possibly imagined.

"Alright then," he said, his pace becoming more brisk as he drew closer and closer to his smaller companion, and he continuously pumped his fist into his hands, "Ready for round two partner?"

She smiled at him, and dipped into a ready stance; knees slightly bent, hands and arms up and ready for defense.

"Are you?"

Chris chuckled; her brimming self-confidence always had been one of her best attributes. "You tell me. " he replied.

His walk suddenly exploded into a full on charge, closing the distance between them in seconds as he raised his fist for a strike to her nimble body.

Sheva moved immediately. Gracefully, she flipped her body end over end in a no-handed cartwheel that saw her easily avoid Chris's blow.

Quickly Chris turned to face his swift opponent, only to catch a stiff kick to his face that sent him stumbling backwards. Taking advantage of the opening she'd caused, Sheva ran up to him and for one guilty moment Chris thought, and hoped, she was going to pull that same maneuver from before and give him another visit in between her silky thighs.

Instead however, all he got was yet another taste of her knee-high boots when Sheva somersaulted backwards, flinging her left foot directly into his chin as she flipped and knocked Chris right on to his ass.

_Well that's what you get for wishing…_

Ignoring the aching embarrassment for allowing his less chivalrous thoughts to get the better of him, Chris quickly rose back to his feet.

He looked to Sheva and she shook her head, "I told you those energy drinks aren't good for you." she gently chided with a knowing chuckle.

Chris scoffed, "You make it sound like were finished already."

Sheva shrugged. "I-don't-know," she said in a sing-song tone, "If you keep moving like this, we might be soon."

It was Chris's turn to smirk. "Well then I guess I'll just have to step it up now won't I?"

He charged again, and Sheva instantly got back into her stance.

Chris knew he wouldn't win by charging her like a mad ox fresh from having its balls removed. Sheva was simply too quick and smart an opponent for such thoughtless tactics.

But if he could corner her, maybe back her into one of the walls of the surrounding buildings.

_Yeah._

He just might be able to do it.

**

Sheva dodged Chris' next incoming punch with about as much ease as the first. But before she could immediately counter like before, quite suddenly there was another punch, then another, and another, and before Sheva knew it, she was caught in a flurry of thunderous strikes. She really, **really**, had to work herself hard in order to not be struck by her friend's hammering. And more then once he would manage to tag her arm, or shoulder as he forced her back with his onslaught. Still she endured however, expertly dodging the attacks with every ounce of speed and agility she could muster.

Sheva couldn't help but smile.

_Guess I was wrong about the energy drink._

She ducked under a powerful hook, but immediately had to back-roll away from a vicious knee Chris shot her way that would have surely knocked the wind out of her.

It was time to change tactics.

Rising back to her feet Sheva began rocking her body from side to side, both feet approximately shoulder-width apart, moving one foot backwards and then back to the base, slowly finding a silent, invisible rhythm within herself.

Chris raised an eyebrow at this peculiar change of pace.

"What in the world?" he said.

Sheva smiled, momentarily pausing in her seemingly meaningless dancing.

"Come and find out." she beckoned confidently, and resumed her dance-like movements.

Chris smirked and advanced toward her.

He would quickly regret that.

For Sheva reacted instantly.

She leapt sideways into the air, twisting her body round and around before planting a sharp kick against Chris's chest, sending him stumbling back a few feet.

Like a cat she gracefully landed back on her feet, her body right away going back into her swaying movements while Chris gave her a very funny "What the hell!?" look.

Sheva smiled, "What's the matter Chris? Unfamiliar with Capoeira?"

Scoffing, Chris charged for her again.

Sheva turned her body sideways as she leapt, completely dodging Chris's next blow and returning the favor with a quick elbow to the man's pulsing pectorals, all before her feet had even landed back on the ground.

This continued on for several more minutes, with Sheva fully unleashing her impressive agility with well timed flips and cartwheels, continuously evading Chris' strikes, while landing precise kicks to his body and shins, slowly trying to wear him down.

Unfortunately for her however, Capoeira has one major weakness that can be exploited if one is large and quick enough.

In the middle of one of her acrobatic flips, turning her body end over end, Chris suddenly charged forward. And caught her.

_Well this certainly wasn't part of the plan!_

Squirming in Chris powerful grip, Sheva tried to get free, but Chris simply hauled her onto his shoulder as though she weighed less than nothing.

Whether by accident or otherwise one of Chris's hands managed to slide over her rear and she shivered, her struggles briefly pausing.

Apparently not realizing his action, Chris chuckled. "Don't tell me you've given up already!?"

Before Sheva could make a quick retort, she had to speedily right herself in mid-air once again when Chris simply flung her like a rag-doll and she just barely managed to land on her knees.

When she rose back up, Chris was still coming, but he was no longer charging.

A confident smirk had for some reason made its way onto his face.

"Why are you smiling?" she inquired, "That was quite an impressive showing, but you still haven't managed really hit me yet."

Chris's smirk grew bigger. "I think you'll find **yet** was the key word in that sentence."

"Oh really?" Sheva said, backing up as she prepared for another attack.

But the sudden roughness of warm brick against her back sent a sharp wave of confusion and shock up Sheva's spine.

_What?_

She looked behind her.

The façade of the abandoned building was an as welcoming sight as the slaughtered antelope she and Chris had seen when first exploring Kijuju.

She looked back to Chris who was a mere few feet away. Instantly she realized what his intentions were with that maddened barrage of fists and she cursed herself for allowing him to back her into a corner.

Chris spread his arms out, slightly bending his knees as he stalked toward her and Sheva vaguely recalled the Ndipaya villagers they'd both encountered, who would similarly slowly advance upon them as though they were unwary victims; eyes maddened with bloodlust and rage.

A shiver went up her spine just from thinking of the horror Irving had created for the people who had lived near the Ndipaya village.

Quickly snapping out of it, Sheva desperately thought on her next move.

With Chris so close, there was very little she could do except wait for Chris's own move and pray he provided her an opening.

Chris suddenly charged.

_Oh well, it doesn't hurt to hope._

She managed to just barely dodge the fist punch, a huge straight that would've knocked her silly, or out, whichever came first. She tried to counter with a knee to Chris's stomach which would hopefully provide enough time for her to slip past him while he was winded. But with no room to properly lift her leg, she was sure he barely even felt her meek attempt at retaliation.

There was only one option left.

Sheva lifted her hand and swung.

Her fist collided with Chris's face.

Her fellow BSAA agent took the blow without even so much as a grunt, and she instantly knew that she might have had better luck trying to hit a concrete wall.

At least **it** wouldn't hit back.

She readied herself for a big retaliatory blow, but the only injury that came, was to her ego.

Chris seemed to look at her seriously for a moment, but then she noticed he was biting his bottom lip, trying greatly to hold back a laugh.

Her cheeks flushed, and she tried not to meet his eyes. "What's so funny?"

Chris stepped back away from her, chuckling.

"Please Sheva, tell me that was not seriously the best you could do. Please."

She could feel her flush deepen and she knew he must've seen it because he chuckled again.

"Y-You had me cornered," Sheva quickly explained, "I had to do something!"

"I understand _that_." he replied considerately, "I'm talking about the punch itself."

"Oh…"

"Yeah, 'oh'." he jokingly mimicked, "Come here."

He signaled for her to follow him and they both returned to the center of the parking lot.

Chris turned to her. "Get into stance."

Sheva gave him a quizzical look. "What for? I thought this would be another break."

He chuckled, "Aww what's wrong Sheva? Starting to get a little tired?"

"For your information, I've been a little tired!" she laughed.

"Well don't worry, this should be pretty easy, I finally got a chance to read your file, so I know you're a fast learner." Chris said.

Sighing, but her curiosity having been gained, Sheva did as he asked and got into fighting stance.

Chris nodded, "Alright then, time for Boxing 101." he proclaimed proudly.

"Boxing!?" Sheva exclaimed, "Why on earth would I need to learn how to box?"

"Well for one," Chris began, "it would be good to know not only how to kick someone's head off, which you do quite well by the way, but to be able to knock it off as well when they get in close with a good old fashioned straight." he answered, demonstrating with a hard punch to the air.

Sheva nodded, seeing his point. She would admit she did rely only on her kicks far too often, however the preference had been engraved into her more so due to cultural values then it had been a personal decision.. It was a strong West African belief that the hands, in their purest form, were meant for creation. The feet alternatively, were judged to almost always be used for destruction; the basis of this ideal being the fact that the simple act of walking in a long stretch of grass killed untold amounts of organisms.

However, she was sure her ancestors would forgive her just this once. Her continued existence was probably a much higher priority then the means at which she did so.

"Alright Chris," she said, "What do you have to teach me?"

"Not much," he replied, shrugging, "it's really simple actually."

He puffed his chest out all of a sudden, and Sheva tried not to stare at his body yet again, but God was it difficult. She found herself constantly amazed that a man in his mid-thirties could be in such excellent physical condition.

_And he's certainly not bad to look at either…_

"Give me your best shot." he instructed, breaking her train of thought as he tapped his steely abs.

Sheva gave him a disbelieving expression.

"You've got to be kidding. I'd actually rather keep my hand in working condition thank you very much."

Chris smiled, "Guess I'll take that as a compliment. But seriously, come on, lay one on me."

Ignoring the other possible way she could have taken his words, Sheva nodded.

She took a few deep breaths, trying to determine how much force she would have to put in her strike so Chris would at least feel it, before she suddenly darted forward.

Throwing her arm back and crying out with effort, she roughly jerked her fist forward into Chris abdomen.

She was surprised that her blow slightly fazed him, actually forcing Chris to take a few steps back, but Sheva couldn't truly feel victorious for her accomplishment because of the sudden stinging pain that shot through her shoulder as she threw her punch.

Wincing, she stepped back from Chris, rubbing her shoulder and gave him a perturbed look.

"How was that? Or would you prefer it if I ripped my whole arm off next time instead?"

Grinning cheekily, Chris shook his head. "Come on you know I don't want that, besides I can see what the problem is already. You aren't turning your hip into the punch."

She tilted her head. "What? Not turning my hip?"

Chris nodded. "Let me show you."

He approached her, and came to stand behind her and before she could say a thing, he placed his hands smoothly onto her hips.

A maddening wave of heat spread across her face, she opened her mouth but found her throat suddenly dry; too surprised to form any words.

"Pull your left foot back some, and bring you right foot forward." Chris said, not noticing her embarrassment.

Sheva could only nod at first though she was quick to reprimand herself for becoming so enthralled.

_Come on get yourself together! He's only helping you!_

"O-Okay…" she complied, pulling her left foot back, while bringing her other foot forward.

"Alright now, put up your hands."

Sheva nodded, and brought her hands up, balling them into fists.

"Now, bring back your strong hand."

"Okay." She said, and as she did so, Chris slowly pulled her hips back in the same direction as her fist.

"Now punch."

She punched, and almost yelped when Chris suddenly turned her hips forward with her strike.

She looked back at him. "Just what the—"

"_That_, would be the proper way to throw a punch Ms. Alomar." Chris interrupted her, chuckling, "Couldn't you tell the difference?"

She could actually. The blow had been more powerful then anything she usually threw, and seemed much easier on her shoulders then her usually stiff punches.

He pulled her hips back again.

"Punch."

She did, and he once again turned her hips into the attack.

This continued for several minutes, and Sheva was becoming more and more used to the routine.

However, she began to notice that with each punch, Chris was slowly beginning to loosen his grip on her hips, allowing her to on her own turn her body into the attacks.

She couldn't explain it, but she just didn't want him to let her go.

Something about the two of them here, like this, helping each other once again, learning from one another, it touched something deep within, something she didn't want to lose so soon.

She subtly moved backwards into Chris' hands each time she felt him beginning to let go.

He didn't seem to notice and they simply continued on.

Quite suddenly, however, Chris let her hips go altogether and when she attempted to move back, she did so too far, walking back directly into his solid body.

She gasped lightly, and she heard him make a sound of surprise as well.

Sheva was suddenly lost in that moment; the slick wetness of his bare body mixing with her own, and the feel of such pure firmness against her.

She found herself leaning into him, feeling comforted by the strength that the man behind her just naturally seemed to exhume, not just from his muscles, but the strong heart held within him.

"Uh… S-Sheva…" Chris murmured, breaking her out of her trance, "Are you okay?"

Sheva nodded, "Yes, I guess I was just a little more tired then I thought…"

He chuckled, though it sounded a bit forced. "Okay, guess we'll have that break now."

"Yeah," Sheva agreed, turning around to face him, "I guess so."

They stared at each for a moment, light brown meeting foggy blue, a message trying to be sent from both, but neither being able to decipher it at that time.

Chris then smiled at her, nodded, and went back over to where he had left his drink.

Leaving Sheva to contemplate a powerful feeling inside her.

One which she didn't quite know how to handle.

**

The afternoon sun hung high in the sky, and the creeping ocher edge of dusk was slowly beginning to let its presence be known.

Taking the last few sips from his energy drink, Chris crushed the can and tossed it into a nearby dumpster.

He sighed as he rolled his neck, waiting for that satisfying pop of bone which he soon got. Sighing again, Chris stood up from the ground and looked over to Sheva who was sitting a few yards away, still taking sips from her water bottle which was halfway empty.

Though he was sure she was trying her best not to, she looked quite thoughtful, as though she were deeply considering something.

He twice tried to open his mouth to say… something, _anything_, as long as it relieved the unease that had been built between them, but the words refused to come out.

Christ, just what the hell was happening between the two of them?

He would admit there had always been… something… but it had never been anything quite like this.

"Chris." Sheva called.

He looked at her, glad someone finally had something to say. "Yeah?"

She seemed ready to reconsider for a moment, looking as though she didn't want ask him what she wanted to ask when she knew she truly did.

"I know this may not be my place to ask, but if I do, do you promise to answer me truthfully?"

Chris grinned. "I can't really think of anything that I wouldn't want to tell you, so yeah, I promise."

She suddenly looked a bit hopeful and nodded.

"Okay then…" she said, "How close were you and Jill?"

Chris' gut tightened up so hard he almost made a sound, and he had no idea why.

No idea why he feared she would ask that question.

_What the hell is wrong with me!? Answer her! It's a simple question!_

Despite his inner turmoil, Chris let out a forced chuckle. "Sheva, you've already asked me this before. I told you, we were partners."

"I know…" Sheva said softly, "But... it seems like there was… is something more between you two."

It quickly dawned on him just where Sheva was going with this and he widened his eyes in realization.

"Wait a minute… are you asking me if Jill and I—"

"Do you love her?" Sheva asked him.

Chris very much so wanted out of this conversation, but he had made a promise, and he wouldn't go back on his word.

He searched for his answer.

Did he love Jill…?

"Chris?" Sheva asked, revealing the anticipation she truly held for his answer.

Chris nodded, finally finding his answer, "Do I love Jill Valentine? Yes Sheva, I do.."

"I see…" Sheva whispered, looking away from him, and he instantly felt the disappointed and sorrowful weight behind those words tug at his own heart.

Chris walked over to Sheva and knelt down.

He lifted her head up with his finger and when she finally looked back at him, he smiled gently.

"She is my best friend Sheva… we went though hell together. How could I not?"

There was that hope in her eyes again, that precious little glimmer from months before, but this time he fully recognized it for what it was, and suddenly he felt like his heart was going break through his ribcage it was beating so fast.

"And what does that make me?" Sheva asked him as she started to move forward, staring deeply into his eyes for the answer he knew she was praying on hearing.

He gave it to her.

"Someone I'm_ in _love with…" he whispered, inching his face closer to hers.

Their lips met.

And a great weight was suddenly ripped away from Chris' shoulders as the sweet taste of her filled his mouth. He realized this was what he had wanted. Realized this was what _she_ wanted.

Realized, this is what they _needed_.

This, along with something else, and very soon.

The kiss came to an end, and they both rested their heads against each other's.

"What do you say to one last spar before we can maybe… take this somewhere else…?" Chris asked.

Sheva giggled. "Sure."

She suddenly pushed him down, his bare back forced against the ground.

Before Chris could do a thing, she quickly straddled him, and the second he felt the weight of her against the lower half of his body, he let out a hoarse groan, his budding hardness throbbing against his pants, and Sheva's slowly wetting, carnal center.

Sheva gasped as she felt him grow, and slowly began moving her hips in slow blissful motions, egging on the growth.

"I think I won."

--

Total hotness, right?

To be continued!!

Thanx Ki!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This last chap was of course done by Mel, but she was unable to submit it herself at the time so she allowed me, Lord of Ki, the Co-author of this little fic to submit it for her. Please enjoy this spectacular, sexy chapter written by her! XD

--

Chapter 3

A low hiss escaped him as his eyes quickly shut and his hands clawed at the pavement.  
"You didn't waste any time, did you?" he breathed.  
Sheva smirked triumphantly. "Nope."  
Her slow and fluid movements rubbed against him with deliciously perfect precision.

The woman was skilled.

A throaty moan slipped past his lips as he turned his head to one side and pressed his swelling hardness against her.

For a moment, Sheva felt her body tense and her hands balled into fists against his slick chest.  
Her emotions continued to build heavily inside of her as she increased the pressure of their friction.  
Everything they've done had led upto this moment. Their tempestuous mission, their reluctant separation afterwards, the months of silence, and now this.

This was their reward. This was their release.

"Chris..." she called in a hushed tone; her bottled emotions slowly surfacing in her voice. Anxiously, she spread her fingers across his chest and curled them; lightly raking invisible lines atop his solid skin.

She didn't just need this. She needed him. And not just for a moment's time.  
Always.

"Sheva..." Chris breathed huskily and slowly turned his head to gaze at her. Foggy blue glistened under hooded lids as they beheld the beautiful woman before them.  
Wispy rays of the descending sun fanned around her, surrounding her caramel-hued skin with a warm golden aurora.

Slowly, Chris lifted an arm and reached out towards her face. If he didn't touch her, if he didn't hold her, he was afraid that this moment would slip by him as an illusion. An illusion in which the sun would take back its goddess.  
His hand hesitated at first, then lightly caressed her cheek.

She was slightly surprised by the gentle gesture, but eagerly nuzzled into his touch.

This was real.

Smiling lightly, Sheva traced her fingers down his abs, tickling the brown curls that dwelled there.  
Traveling lower still, her hands smoothed over the firm outline of the fervent erection through his tented pants.  
A streak of warmth bloomed across Chris' face at her fondling as she pressed her hips into him again.

His hand dropped to his side and his head lolled back in fascination and pleasurable impatience.  
She had made him so ready, so fervidly rigid with her teasing, the suppression of his desire had become painful.

Deliciously painful.

But Sheva was already a step ahead of him and had already released the zippers and had begun to slide his thick garment downward.

Until his had reached out and clasped over hers, stopping her.

She gasped lightly and gave him a confused look. Then an apologetic one.  
Had she gone too fast? "Chris, I..."  
"I don't want an apology, Sheva." he spoke lowly, his voice cracking from the haze their lust left on him.  
She eyed him curiously, her hazel eyes glistening with inquiry. "Then ...what do you want?"  
Instead of words, his eyes narrowed and the grip on her hand tightened protectively.  
What he wanted was obvious.  
Her.  
And he did not want to let go.

Silently, Sheva deciphered this message. He was giving her the chance to make up her mind. She was either giving him 100% or nothing at all.  
All of her devotion or nothing from her, nor between them.

"Sheva, you don't have to do this. You can still back out..."

A bold smile laced her lips and she gave his hand a squeeze.  
"You've asked me that before, and the answer's still the same..."

He smirked; a wavering glimmer of acceptance in his eyes. Sitting up, he leaned in close and kissed her gingerly.  
"Good..." he whispered and they slightly pulled away, remaining at a nose' length.  
Endearing hazel brimmed with hope as they dove willingly into dusky pools of smoky allure.

Partners.  
They were partners, and lovers, to the end.

And within the rapid beat of a second later, the two of them assaulted the other in feverish tepid kisses while their hands groped and squeezed whatever flesh lay in their path.

Sheva felt her whole body vibrate with ecstasy as Chris opened his mouth and eagerly battled with her tongue while he began to press her backwards.  
His frantic hands smoothed upto her hair and grasped at it in tufts, kissing her fiercely.  
Gaining momentum of her own, Sheva pushed him back with quick, powerful and deep flavorful kisses as she tugged at his pants.

She wanted him now.

The distant murmur of her name fell from his lips in-between kisses from the touch of her hand against his growing hardness as she rubbed its length through his pants.

As much as he wanted feel her feathery strokes along his bare endowment, it would have to wait.

"Not now...." he managed to whisper, taking hold of her hands and bringing them to his chest. "We don't have to rush."  
"I know, but I'd prefer to." Sheva answered back softly, kissing him strongly and clawing at his toned chest. Her hands spread over the rows of curls and tugged at them, making him moan. "I've waited too long for this, Chris..."  
"You're not the only one..." he added, lifting his hands to her face and bringing her into fierce kiss.  
The taste of his mouth tantalized her senses and sent a warming shock throughout her body. She could feel herself start to plummet willingly into his passionate embraces as the rest of the world crumbled away beneath her.  
Slowly, she could feel the weight of him press towards her while her body leaned backwards.  
The comforting strength of his arms held her tightly, protectively, and she succumbed to their invigorating opulence.

He held her so carefully, she had no idea she had been laying on the pavement on her back until her eyes fluttered open to behold the broad male above her.

Glistening beads of sweat decorated his forehead and rippled over his sharply defined body. He gazed to her through yearning eyes; the obsidian orbs lingering on a particular spot on her chest as it rapidly rose and fell.  
Only then did she realize how hard she was breathing in anticipation for not only him, but what he was going to do.  
Saying nothing, Chris gave her a knowing look that she acknowledged with a smile and taut sigh.

Patience.

Panting lightly, his dusky blue eyes trailed over her caramel curves.  
A light moistened sheen dappled her body like fresh morning dew with each breath she took.  
Her supple breasts lay captive behind the tight top that she wore, almost begging him to free them.  
Gazing lower, Chris' eyes whispered over her toned abdomen.  
As did his lips.

Sheva shivered and let loose a muffled cry from his touch and looked down at him.  
His mouth eagerly dotted her smooth skin with invisible signatures of his name while the unshaven bristles on his chin brushed against her and made her squirm in titillated pleasure.

She laughed lazily, closing her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips, and tongue, over her skin.

Testing her, Chris flicked his tongue rapidly over her stomach and suckled on her navel.  
A flurry of incoherent words, and giggles, tumbled from her lips as she shut her eyes and rolled her head from side to side.

Chris observed her keenly.

Carefully, he led his hands down her voluptuous curves and rested them on her full hips.  
Squeezing them, he continued to tease her and distract her as he steadily pulled down her pants.

"Chris..." Sheva called breathlessly, continuing to speak in her native tongue. Instinctively, her hands trailed down to toy in his hair.

Without realizing, she was pushing him closer to her frothy womanhood.  
Her undergarment aside, the very scent of her made Chris' mouth water.  
Softly, his fingers caressed her moistened folds while he brought his lips back to her stomach. Every so often, he'd glance up at her while lacing her skin with his kisses as they lingered lower and lower.

Her breath quickened.  
Brisk pants floated into the crisp air as her glossed eyes opened.  
Pure excitement coursed through her as she curiously propped herself up on her elbows to watch her partner. And her mouth hung in a gape as she beheld his tongue slowly inching towards her velvety petals and devouring their extract in one long sweep.

"Chris!" she cried, gripping at his disheveled locks.

Chris looked up at her, then smirked faintly as he continued to devour her distinctive taste.

"I thought I told you to be patient..." he mused, his taunting lips caressing her in ways that made her shiver. "...And you're done already?"  
"Bastard..." she laughed, catching her breath. "You just caught me by surprise!"  
"I'll take that as a compliment." he chuckled, giving her moistness one more series of rapid licks before pulling away from her.

Gasping for air, Sheva peered down at him as he pulled her pants back into their original place atop her hips and stood to his feet.

Smiling to himself, he boldly licked his lips in front of her and wiped them with the edge of his thumb.  
"Are you alright?"

Dumbfounded, Sheva blinked at him and narrowed her eyes. "What do you think you're doing, Chris?!" she demanded; her mind still a disoriented haze of ecstasy.  
He chuckled. "Leaving."  
Her eyes shot open widely and she forced herself to her feet. "Wh-what?!" she challenged and glared sternly at him as he turned his back to her.

She knew he was toying with her, but this was becoming to be a bit much!

"Wherever you're going, I'm going with you!"  
"Sure you don't need some time to rest?"

Sheva's face danced with fire at this comment. She opened her mouth to retaliate, but gained a better idea.  
Instead, she quietly undid her pants and slipped them down over her legs. "Why would I need to rest? You were the one who stopped, Chris."

Amused, he scoffed.

"Don't blame me. You were the one who---" he trailed off, turning around. He only had a split second to realize Sheva was charging for him, half naked.

Stunned, he could do nothing but watch the woman leap into the air and mount herself atop his shoulders.  
Again.  
"Now who's stopping, Chris?" Sheva teased, running her hands through his hair, nudging him forward. "You're not going anywhere!"

"Mpbhh!!" was his muffled reply as he staggered back a bit in surprise.  
This woman was crazy, jumping on him like that!  
But he loved it.  
Enticingly, Chris cupped her behind and gave it a squeeze before trailing his strong hands up her back and sliding them back down to her waist.  
"Don't fall." he murmured against her heat; his whiskers tickling her flesh. She shuddered and gripped at his hair. "Ah... Chris..."  
He cringed slightly from how tightly she pulled on his hair, but focused more of his attention on indulging in the feast before him. Holding her closely, he began to walk towards one of the abandoned buildings.  
"What are you upto now...?" Sheva questioned with half-closed eyes.  
"Just relax" Chris informed huskily, suckling gently.  
Enthralled, Sheva threw her head back and cried out.  
Her head swam with a haze of pleasure as her body shivered and shook with each lick, nibble and slurp Chris gave her.  
Deeply submerged in his embraces, she felt herself start to sway before she leaned back.  
Feeling this, Chris loosened his grip on her and allowed her body to inch backwards.  
The second Sheva felt the solid warm brick rub across her back, her legs tightened and she threw her hands against wall.  
Having additional leverage, Chris moved his hands from around her and slipped his hands under her curvaceous behind and placed two fingers from each hand on either side of her petals.

And there he consumed her taste; deeply, teasingly, sloppily, noisily. Satisfying his raw thirst for her one savory slurp at a time.  
Parting her folds, he sent his probing tongue hungrily inside her dripping walls and eased in a finger.

Frantically, she began to ramble in another language, more then likely Swahili, and coo his name as if it were a chant while she clawed desperately against the wall.  
Chris inwardly chuckled to himself as he savored yet another release from her.

Yep, he still had it.

Curious, he glanced up at her and gave her quivering warmth a soft kiss before pulling away.  
Catching her breath, Sheva's chest heaved rapidly.  
Her glossed hazel eyes wavered about the setting sun in the horizon beyond as they were revealed beneath hooded lids.  
Aimlessly, they lazily fell on Chris, who was licking his lips and wiping the side of his face with a hand and panting slightly.

His face was drenched with her essence.

Embarrassed, Sheva removed her legs from around his shoulders and started to slide down from him when his firm hands grasped her waist and helped her down to her feet.

"Um...s...sorry about that..." she stammered, blushing wildly. "Here." she pulled her shirt over her head and handed it to him. "You might want to use this instead."

"Thanks." Chris smiled, taking the thin garment from her and wiped his face with it.  
Sheva watched him peculiarly, an odd little smile on her face. Her wandering eyes lingered on his lips as his tongue gave them another quick taste. The thought crossed her mind that he would want to kiss her with those same lips, dappled with her significance, and she bashfully adverted her gaze from him.  
The idea didn't seem too appealing to her, but because it was him, and out of curiosity, she wanted to experience what it was like.

"Is something wrong?"  
"No." she responded promptly, her body language suggesting otherwise. But she coolly masked it by her hands positioned boldly on her haunches. "Do I look like something is wrong?"  
Chris' eyes studied her for a moment and he took a step towards her. "No." he answered softly, fibbing slightly. Yet, he decided to take her word for it.  
Tossing her shirt to the side, Chris placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to his.  
Glittering hazel fleeted between twin orbs of blue.  
"Ready?" he whispered in a heavy tone. The pure seduction it held made her shiver.  
Without realizing, a broad smile spread across Sheva's lips and she curled her fingertips against the fuzz on his chest. "Always."

Chuckling lightly, Chris leaned in and captured her luscious lips with full and searing kisses.  
The enticed whisper of his name slipped from Sheva's mouth as his hands cupped her breasts through the silky bra she wore. Lightly, he tugged on it twice, silently signaling to her to remove it.  
Smiling, she did so while grinding her hips against his swollen manhood.  
"Sheva..." he mumbled against her lips. Once her succulent curves were freed, he immediately grasped them and flicked his fingers over the nipples.

Sheva gasped and moaned into his mouth while her hands busily worked to unraveling his fly.

A flurry of moans and airy pants engulfed them as they indulged in deep frictional foreplay.  
Impatiently, her hands gripped the rim of his pants and started to pull them down when his met her halfway.  
Kissing her collarbone sweetly, Chris pulled off his remaining garments and tossed them in same pile as her shirt.  
Curious, Sheva leaned forward and peered downward to steal a peek at his size when he met her gaze and hid his endowment as he made his way back upto her.  
"No peeking." he smirked, actually a bit nervous towards his own 'equipment', and trailed his lips over her smooth neck.  
Leaning back against the wall, Sheva brought her hands upto his backside and gave him a smack and a squeeze. "You have nothing to hide from me, Chris." she grinned, bringing his hips into hers.  
He bit his lip, lost in the contact for a moment, then looked to her dubiously. "I'm shy."  
"You're a liar." she chirped in a sing-song tone. Then chuckled. "But fine, you don't have to show me..." she trailed off.  
She may not have needed to see his length, but she certainly wanted to feel it. And she certainly wanted a strong performance.

"Sure, no pressure." he mumbled sarcastically in a raspy breath and quickly nuzzled against her neck.  
"Mm, what did you say, Chris?" Sheva questioned, her tone wavering from the feel of his hardness rubbing directly against her begging folds.  
"Shh" he teased, pressing the tip of his length against her damp opening.  
Her body tensed and she gasped, but Chris lightly grazed his teeth over one spot on her neck that drove her wild.  
"Oh my god... Chris..." she moaned, her tone a mix of a whisper and a whine.  
And almost immediately, her body relaxed and Chris eased his pulsing thickness into her.  
The world around them started to spin and they both cried out in hungry wails of pleasure. Sheva threw her arms around his waist and clutched him tightly while he groaned against her neck, inching himself in deeper within her tight walls.  
And just as deliciously, he pulled out of her halfway before allowing his slick size to be swallowed by her nether lips yet again.

She was extremely tight, partly because of her anxious need for him.  
Chris took this to heart, but kissed her sweetly on the mouth and lifted her legs off the ground.

Their gasps of air and heavy moans assimilated together in a cloud of passion as they both became accustomed to the other's feel; familiarizing themselves with each touch and squeeze.  
Chris' pace quickened, as did Sheva's. She eagerly met his rhythm in every thrust, every grind and clung to him strongly.  
Chris grunted hoarsely as he delved rapidly into her. But a familiar bubbling sensation resonating within him caused him to suddenly slow his pace to a near crawl.  
He didn't want to stop.  
Not now.  
Not yet.  
Temporarily stopping was the next best option he had.

Slightly disappointed and wanting, needing, more, Sheva whimpered lightly and gazed up at him; her silver earrings glistening in the sunlight. "I told you so..." she smirked sleepily.  
Breathing deeply, Chris looked at her and attempted a faint smile. "Let me guess, the energy drink again, right?"  
She nodded. "That's right!"  
He scoffed, starting to inch his fullness inside her slowly. "I don't think so."  
"Yeah? Prove me wrong, then, Mr. Redfield."  
" 'Mr.' ?!"  
"You heard me." she grinned, leaning close to nip at his bottom lip. He closed his eyes instantly and hugged her close. "Mm...Sheva...."  
"Yes, Mr. Redfield.?" she teased, rubbing her moistness against him, making him thrust briskly once.  
He groaned and made a face. "Ms. Alomar...You're such a tease."  
"Am I?"  
"Yes."  
"Good. I wouldn't have gotten your attention if I wasn't, now would I?" she asked, cutely tilting her head to the side.  
Chris said nothing at first, and only stared at this woman in a gape.  
She had caught him off guard with that statement. But thinking back, she definitely had a point.  
A good one.  
Had she planned this all along?  
Sheva could clearly read his expression.  
"No." she confessed, laughing, "No, Chris, I did not plan this. Did you?"  
"What do you think?"  
She chuckled and slipped her arms around his neck. "Does it really still matter? I want you..."  
He stared at her seriously for a moment, focusing intently on her eyes.  
He had never heard such endearing words before. And somehow, coming from between those ripened lips made the sound of it even more gratifying to hear.  
"Do you mean that?" he asked, his question seeming slightly out of place.  
And Sheva gave him an expression that told him that, but it soon dissolved into a caring smile. Lightly she caressed his face and ran her thumb over his cheekbone. Her eyes lingered unwaveringly in his and she nodded. "Of course I do, Chris. I... I'm in love with you. Why wouldn't I mean that?"  
Yes, why wouldn't she mean that?  
Chris was taken aback by her sincerity as much as her words themselves.  
Closing his eyes, he exhaled heavily and hugged her to his chest.  
Bringing her away from the wall, he kneeled in front of their pile of clothes and laid her back-first on top of them.  
"Chris...?" Sheva wondered; her eyes fleeting curiously between his closed lids.  
Instead of answering her right away, Chris took one of her hands in his and brought it to his lips.  
Kissing the back of it gingerly, he dipped and placed his lips against her palm.  
Then he led her hand to his chest, right over his heart.  
"Sheva..." he began, bending down and slipping an arm under her and kissing her on the forehead.  
"Yes?" she inquired, rolling her palm over his chest; counting his rapid heartbeats.  
A beat of silence set in and their eyes entwined gazes.  
Sheva's hazel eyes clung deeply to his. Stray flecks of sunlight settled in his dusky irises, giving them a glossed appearance.  
Or was that really an illusion of the sun?

"Chris?" she called softly, but gasped when she felt him pulsing inside of her.

The older man's eyes narrowed as he beheld the beautiful woman below him shut her eyes in pleasure as he pressed his thickness within her walls.

Leaning down, he placed his mouth just above hers.  
"I'm in love with you too, Sheva Alomar..." he breathed gingerly; his heartfelt words brushing against her lips.  
The huskiness in his voice made her moan. And her sounds of carnal pleasure only intensified with he regained a steady pace inside of her desire.

"My god, my god, Chris! Deeper! Don't let me go!" she cried, aimless words dribbling from her mouth while she became even more submerged in their passion.

"I won't." Chris agreed and slid a hand under her bottom to lift her one of her legs and nudged her to the right.

Glancing up at him through her drunken haze, Sheva took his motions as a signal to turn onto her side and did so.  
Chris laid directly behind her, grasping her hips with both hands as he drove into her from behind.

Crying out, Sheva moved backwards into him, fully enjoying the satisfying fullness of his thrusts and the comfort his broad chest offered.  
Her body sang as another climax approached her and she continued to pump her hips wildly and slam her bottom against him.

A low raspy sound thrived in Chris' throat as his hands glided down to her rear; squeezing and rubbing it as he pleased.

"So good..." he uttered hoarsely, resting his head against hers.  
Panting, Sheva glanced over her shoulder at him, then inched her hips forward slightly until the tip of him nestled within her entrance. Then, slowly, she pressed backwards, engulfing his hardness before withdrawing again.

A throaty hiss escaped him as his fingers dug into her lusciously soft skin while she did this, driving him crazy.

He followed along with her painfully slow pace as long as he could stand.  
And the next thing the both of them realized, he was on his knees behind her while she was on her stomach.

Chris slid his hands under her waist and tugged her upto her knees while steadily delving perfectly within her.

"Chris!" she shouted, reaching behind her and clutching his behind and meeting his eager rhythm.  
"Sheva!" he called back, snaking a hand up her abdomen and grasping a plump breast and kneading it gently.

Their bodies glistened with sweat in the fading gleam of the setting sun, creating a frantic temperature that would rival the fiery celestial body itself.

Reaching another ultimate, Sheva arched against Chris's solid body and squeezed her eyes shut panting heavily.

Chris groaned from the intense grip her walls had around him and shuddered from the abundance of milky cream that seeped out down his length.

Inwardly, Chris grinned to himself at the ego boost he was receiving from making love to Sheva and being constantly immersed by her multiple climaxes.

"We're not done, yet..." he mused with the hint of a chuckle.  
"We're not?" Sheva breathed, looking back to him in wonder.  
A devious smirk lingered on his lips and before she could question it, he laid on his back and lifted his hips, making her rise.

She blushed lightly at the notion, and even more so from his stamina.  
"Remind me to never tease you about your stamina or energy drinks effecting you negatively ever again!" she quipped, placing her hands on his thighs and lifting her succulent curves before bringing them back down along his slick size.

Chris moaned hotly and encircled his hands around her hips, guiding her movements.

Eagerly, Sheva bounced atop him, lolling her head back and shouting his name.

Closing his eyes, Chris deepened his thrusts. Once he felt she was in control, he let his hands drop to his sides and curl into fists.

Speeding up her pace, Sheva glanced over at him. His face was serenely composed, dashed with hints of lust and speckles of dewy sweat.

He almost appeared innocent. Unsuspecting.

Mischievously, a small smile laced her lips and she paused in her motions to carefully turn around.

Noticing the change, Chris' eyes shot open and a brush of crimson dusted his cheeks from the sight of Sheva grinning alluringly at him while rolling her hips against him.

And from this, Chris refused to hold back any longer.

He sat up and draped his arms around her back, bringing her close as he lifted her and brought her down atop his thickness.  
But Sheva could do it herself. And the both of them ended up matching the other's pace and rhythm and challenging them.

They both panted strongly, raggedly,desperately; their voices blending together melodiously in a lascivious harmony.

Before long, Chris could feel his climax creeping up on him again, as Sheva already expelled hers.

While she paused to catch her dizzied breath, Chris placed one hand on the ground while he lowered her onto her back yet again.

Instantly, her legs wrapped around his waist and she slammed her hips against him, meeting his tempestuous thrusts and cried out.  
Her breath had become raspy, her throat was dry and her legs felt like foam bars, but she continued to cling to him.

"Sheva, I'm coming....!" he warned, going a little faster, but allowing a small window of option from her.  
"I don't care where, just come with me!" she urged.  
Chris bit his lip and dove into her as quickly as he could. The second he felt a searing pulse throbbing through his length, he pulled out of her, her enveloping warmth, and released his ivory essence in long multiple spurts along her bronzed stomach.

Once her dazed senses returned to her, Sheva looked down at him panting lightly and was surprised by the minuscule feeling of disappointment from her depths not receiving Chris's powerful climax.  
Exhaling, she laid her head back on the concrete and softly pursed her lips.  
She had so desperately wanted him to climax within her; together with her.

But maybe for now, this was best.

Catching his breath, Chris shook his head and laughed triumphantly to himself. He had no idea he still had it in him to last so long.

But his success instantly turned cold when he sought the distant expression on Sheva's face.

Reaching down, he picked up his pants and wiped her stomach clean.  
Then laid down beside her, touching her shoulder. "Hey. What's wrong? Are you alright?"  
"Yeah..." she responded flatly, then faced him with bright eyes. "Of course, I am! Don't worry, you didn't hurt me." she mused, changing the subject and lightening the mood. "You certainly proved me wrong!"  
Amused, he puffed out his chest and laughed. "Oh yeah?" Then his expression calmed as his thoughts leveled.

" I meant what I said. I'm not letting you go, Sheva." he smiled gently, gliding a finger across her cheek and smoothing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"That's sweet of you, Chris." she began, holding his hand and rubbing lightly against it with her cheek. "But I'm afraid you will."  
He blinked. "What?!"  
She tried to smile playfully at him to let him know it wasn't that serious. "I had decided to leave for Africa and stay for about a week or so."  
"And when did you decide this??"  
" About ....15 minutes before you finally decided to show up today."

He stared at her with a half-frown. "And you're just telling me this now?"  
"It certainly seems that way." she shrugged. "I guess it slipped my mind."  
He moved his hand away and sat up. "How can you forget something like that?"  
Sighing, she followed suit. "Because a certain BSAAA agent, who will remain nameless, made me forget! Being with you....I just forgot!"  
"Until now..."  
She nodded. "Until now. But don't worry, Chris, I'll be back in a week or so. Certainly you can wait until then?" she smiled, standing to her feet and reaching for her top.

Chris watched her with studious eyes; his mouth slightly in a gape. The look on his face was almost that of a scowling child.  
Turning to look at him, she winked. "I forgot for a very good reason, Chris. And anyway, I'm only leaving in order to help with the recovery from the Majini activity."

He blinked again and stood to his feet. "Oh. That's ok then..."  
She chuckled and turned to him. " 'That's ok' ? I didn't know I needed your permission to leave, Mr. Redfield."  
He playfully scoffed and stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "...It's fine because I would like a more... 'enjoyable' time in Africa, than the first time, anyway. If that's alright with you..."  
"What?" Sheva questioned, spinning around to face him. "You're coming with me??" she wondered, her eyes wide and teeming with the hint of an emotion Chris had grown fond of seeing within her.  
Hope.  
"I plan to." he stated "Or did you forget what I told you already?"  
"No, it isn't that, it's just..."  
"Just what?" he teased.  
Sheva opened her mouth to retaliate, then shut it and smiled at him. Her eyes brimmed brightly with what he deemed as anticipation.  
Eagerness. Satisfaction.

Passion.

Laughing, she gave him a small push and tapped him on the arm. "Hurry up and get dressed. The flight leaves in a couple of hours… I'll be waiting for you…"

--

A/N: Awesome wasn't it!!? XD lol Next chap will be by me. Hope you all enjoyed this!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Written by Lord of Ki!!!

Chapter 4

There was a collective sharp gasp from some of the passengers onboard the airliner as yet another wave of turbulence washed over the aircraft, making it shudder violently.

This twenty-two hour flight to Africa had become rather bumpy and many of the passengers were starting to get a tad bit uncomfortable. However, the sudden vibrations were a most welcomed feeling to a certain pair that had locked themselves within one of the plane's lavatories.

Sheva let out an enthralled gasp as Chris hungrily delved into her womanly taste, his tongue rapidly lapping at her moistened entrance, eliciting gentle coos and moans from her as she squeezed his back with her sinewy legs which were wrapped tightly around it.

"You… ah… you just couldn't wait could you…? Now who's the one with no patience?" she breathed, her cheeks an impassioned hue of red as the man kneeling before her feasted upon her dripping warmth.

Propping her up against the lavatory's wide sink, Chris briefly halted his feast only to look at her and chuckle. "Trust me Sheva, if I didn't have patience, I'd be doing a lot more then _this_ right now." he replied huskily and went right back to what he had been doing.

"Well I guess I can't really complain…" Sheva moaned, gently rolling her hips into his mouth as she bit her lip and enjoyed the whispery, teasing pleasure that coursed through her body, as it tenderly excited every nerve and tore more light gasps from her mouth.

Sheva was quickly finding Chris to be very, **very**, good at this, and the incessant tickling of his rugged bristles against her sensitive flesh only increased her pleasure as he suckled and licked her vigorously.

She brought her hand to her mouth in order to stifle her elated moans, but when Chris lightly nipped her most sensitive bud of pleasure, she just couldn't hold back any longer. Sheva let out a loud cry as her frothy walls suddenly contracted, her body shuddering violently. The vibrations of yet another wave of turbulence only heightened her powerful release and Chris just didn't seem to know when to stop as he continued to ravish her defenseless, streaming wet petals rapidly with his tongue.

The world suddenly became a thick smog, her mouth suddenly dry, her hips writhing as she rode climax after climax, and Sheva flung her head back, mouth opening for a scream, only for it to be quickly muffled out by Chris when he quickly brought one of his hands up to cover it.

When she was finally able to calm herself, Sheva leaned backwards against the small mirror over the sink, her chest heaving as she slowly unwrapped her trembling legs from around Chris' back, allowing for him to stand.

The sight of her creamy honey dripping from his mouth didn't surprise her in the least this time, in fact, she actually giggled at him.

"If you're going to keep doing that so well, I suggest you be prepared for what happens..."

Chris smiled, licking his lips, "Well it's not like I don't enjoy it. So I can't say I would mind it happening every now and again."

Sheva grinned before sighing contentedly. She couldn't say she minded either.

A sudden knock against the lavatory's door made both of them jump.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" came a thin, polite voice from beyond the door, more then likely one of the flight attendants. "Is everything alright in there? The passengers are claiming that there have been strange sounds coming from in here."

Sheva gave Chris a look and he chuckled and shook his head.

"Don't blame me, you could've stopped me you know." he whispered.

"Oh please!"

"Ma'am? Are you okay?" asked the flight attendant again, now sounding slightly nervous.

"Uhm, yes." Sheva quickly said, knowing that this wasn't exactly the most, _refined_, places to be caught in the act, "I'm sorry, I've just been having stomach problems is all. Too many of the airline peanuts I suppose."

Chris immediately placed his hand over his mouth, muffling out a laugh, to which Sheva only rolled her eyes.

"Well I didn't hear _you_ come up with anything!" Sheva whispered.

"Oh!" the flight attendant exclaimed, "Well we have some Pepto-Bismol on board if you would like some."

Chris placed his head in his hands and shook it as he chuckled lowly.

There was such a thing as people being too damn helpful.

Her embarrassment streaking a red shade across her cheeks, Sheva tried her best to keep her tone polite, "Thank you, but I think I'm better now…"

"Alright ma'am," the attendant said, they then heard her chuckle, "and perhaps you should try something other then our peanuts for the rest of the flight to insure there are no further... complications."

Chris sputtered, his chuckles turning into desperately withheld laughter.

Sheva leered at him. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." she said to the attendant in the most polite "please go away" tone she could conjure up.

As soon as she was sure the flight attendant had let them be, she punched Chris in the ribs.

Hard.

"Ow! What was that for?" he chuckled, though the blow had left him wincing.

"For talking me into this you big lug!" she giggled, "You really just couldn't wait till we got on the ground!?"

Chris shrugged and gave her a charming smirk. "Well if I remember correctly, a certain someone _pulled _me in here when I was trying to walk by…"

Sheva smiled, and reached for him, gently tracing her finger along Chris's chest. "And just who was it that pulled off my pants because apparently the airline food wasn't satisfying enough for you…?"

Chris chuckled. "Touché."

He moved to kiss her.

Sheva grinned, shaking her head, and moved to meet his lips as well.

_I guess we're not quite done yet…_

But before they could treat themselves to each other's tangy tastes, there was suddenly yet another knock on the door.

"Uhm, ma'am, are you sure you'll be fine? I have the Pepto-Bismol right here."

Chris sighed. "You know maybe this _wasn't_ such a good idea after all…"

***

Five hours later, the flight had finally touched down, and Chris and Sheva were immediately picked up by a fellow BSAA officer who dropped them off in a familiar, expansive region that lay within Kijuju.

As soon as Chris stepped out into the blistering heat caused by the intense African afternoon sun, he let out a deep sigh.

"Man," he said, already wiping his forehead, "talk about heat you can't forget…"

Sheva came to stand next to him, a small grin on her face. "Don't worry, you just need to get used to it again."

Chris scoffed, "I wasn't really used to it the first time I was here! But really I don't see the point in complaining, it shouldn't be a surprise how hot it is down here, so I won't even bother."

"Well I have to thank you for that Chris," Sheva chuckled, "I can't tell you how much it bothers me sometimes when foreigners come down here and complain about the heat. I would've thought it was something to be expected."

Smirking, Chris slung his luggage, a large camouflage backpack full of everything he figured he'd need on this trip— most of which was ammunition for the SIG P226 handgun he'd brought with him— against his shoulder.

"No problem," he said, and both of them began walking forward.

Before them was a recognizable large expanse of empty, poorly constructed shacks and buildings.

The vast shanty town of Kijuju.

Where their horrendous mission had first began.

None of the inhabitants were around this time however, and for that Chris couldn't have been more thankful. He shuddered as he vividly remembered the stares when he'd first arrived.

All of that hatred, all of that rage…

There had been no reason in the burning red eyes of the infected, no conscious…

He would admit with a clear heart that he'd been scared shitless when he and Sheva put down the first villager that had tried to attack them. Leon Kennedy's report on his own encounters in Spain with the parasite had been frightening enough, but the actuality of the danger Las Plagas presented simply could not be expressed in written words..

You had to experience it.

Had to see the death, the destruction, the pain it caused.

"Chris?"

Shaking his head clear of his troubled thoughts, Chris looked to Sheva.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" she asked, lightly smiling, "You seemed to have been 'spacing out' again."

"I'm fine," Chris chuckled, "Don't worry about it. Where are we going anyway?"

Sheva pointed straight-ahead towards a short building in the distance. "I think you'll remember it…"

Chris looked in the direction Sheva was pointing in and when he saw the small dilapidated building in the distance that had "Corner Pyamy Butchery" painted on its façade he instantly recognized it.

"Damn… this place again... should've seen it coming." he muttered, remembering all too well the hanging pieces of rancid, fly infested meat (which were _still_ hanging there from what he could tell at this distance) when he'd first arrived in the area.

"Unfortunately yes, Josh says it's the only place in the area that's secure enough to stay in at the moment." Sheva said, the grimace on her face revealing just much she remembered the place as well.

Chris stopped walking and gave her a serious look.

"The infection…Its still not _that_ bad is it? How far has it spread?"

Sheva stopped as well and gave Chris a grave look of her own.

"We have no way of knowing how widespread the infection became before we were able to intervene." Sheva explained, "The last few months I've been here, all four branches of the African BSAA have been working together to try and eliminate any remains of the Las Plagas infection. And so far, we've put down close to a _dozen_ outbreaks in both the Northern and the Southern regions of Africa. There hasn't been as much activity in the East last I checked, so it's safe to say we acted just in time before this broke out into a continental incident."

She suddenly sighed. "Only God knows what would have happened had you and I not arrived in Kijuju when we did."

Chris nodded. Had they arrived one month, hell not even, one _week_ later…

No, he didn't even want to think about it.

Continuing onward, they finally came to the front of the Butchery and Chris's stomach did backflips when he saw that the hanging meat had turned a sickly brown color, and for a moment he thought the heat was playing tricks on him when he saw that the meat still appeared to be _moving_.

Closer examination instead revealed that something was moving _within _the rotted meat and the flies constantly buzzing around the fouled mutton left little to Chris' imagination as to what that was.

"You guys sure it's not the smell that's keeping them away?" he asked Sheva, half joking, half-serious.

"I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that was case." she chuckled, starting to walk towards the side of the building, "Come on, the entrance is around back, just like last time."

Chris smiled, following her. "I know, I remember."

"Just making sure…" she began to say, but trailed off.

Chris could practically feel her fight off the easy quip she could've made about his age, and it made him smile.

"Don't worry Sheva, I think you know by now that I'm not quite that old yet."

He watched her posture suddenly go rigid and he knew that she must've been blushing.

She looked back at him, an alluring passion in her eyes, "You're right, I do."

They came to the building's side door, and Sheva gave it a single knock.

For a few moments, there was no response.

Suddenly a harsh voice on the other side of the door shouted something in another language.

Chris looked to Sheva who only grinned before replying gently in apparently the same language. It was odd hearing her speak so smoothly in her native tongue when she spoke such fluent English. But their recent sexual venture had also made it incredibly appealing and he found it hard not reach out and touch her.

"Oh!" came the voice again, no longer sounding so aggressive. And in perfect English, though slightly accented, a male voice said, "Welcome back Sheva! How was it visiting the high and mighty U.S.A?"

There was a clicking sound as the door was unlocked and it swung open.

The man was tall, lean, and incredibly dark. There was something familiar about the man's face, though Chris just couldn't quite place it at that moment. He was dressed in light green army fatigues, but more importantly, held a military issue AK-74 in his right hand.

"God damn arrogant, hypocritical, self righteous pieces of —"

The man stopped, noticing Chris with widened, embarrassed eyes.

"…the most wholesome group of people I've ever come to know." he sheepishly added in.

"Nice recovery Kent." Sheva giggled, and turned to Chris. "Meet Kent Stone, one of the members of the new Gamma Team."

Chris nodded, but then the last name made something click.

"Wait, _Stone_?"

Kent smiled, "That's right. That unfortunately makes me Joshua Stone's brother."

He gave Chris a quizzical eye for a moment, and for a moment Chris thought he was staring at his neck, but then the man smiled again, "So… _you're _Chris Redfield eh?"

Kent offered his hand and Chris shook it. "I have to say it's really an honor to meet the man who saved your _all powerful_ big brother's sorry ass."

Chris chuckled. "Believe me, he returned the favor more then once."

Kent snorted, "With all little Sheva's been telling us about you, he better had."

They both looked at Sheva, and Chris chuckled when she immediately looked away, indignant.

"You're barely three years older then I am, Kent. So you can keep those 'little' remarks to yourself."

Kent smirked. "Sure thing, squirt."

"Why you—!"

"Okay guys," Chris interjected, "let's keep ourselves on task here. Where is Josh anyway?"

"In the back with the rest of the team," Kent answered, "you guys are just in time for another briefing."

***

Joshua Stone, former commander of the ill-fated Delta team, and current commander of the recently formed Gamma Team, waited patiently for his brother to return from seeing who had been at the door.

The darkened, solidly built man had a distinct feeling on who it would be already, but that didn't stop him from placing his hand on the pistol he had holstered on his hip.

The other members of Gamma Team, six men in total, slowly began reaching for their own weapons. They were sitting close together on stools within this cluttered room full of disarranged shelves and tables that had been used for butchering.

There was no telling when the infected would finally decide to become hostile and give a little knock on the door.

He breathed a happy sigh of relief however, when Kent and Sheva came inside, making him ease his hand off the holster. Relief quickly turned into shock when he saw Chris Redfield follow them into room.

"Well, well," he chuckled, approaching all three with a warm smile, "Isn't this quite the surprise? I see you've returned with our great friend Chris Redfield, Sheva. When I asked for a souvenir from America I didn't quite think you you'd bring back one so great. "

Sheva smiled and gave him a hug. "Well it wasn't easy." she chuckled, "I had to rough him up a bit before he would agree to come."

Josh laughed, releasing her and looked to Chris who shrugged as they approached each other shook hands.

"I've got bruises to prove it." The larger man said, grinning.

Josh smiled and nodded.

Indeed he did.

Quite a few in particular were along his neck, and Josh was pretty sure those hadn't been caused from blows that had been meant to do harm.

He looked at Sheva then to Chris, and chuckled, shaking his head.

_I should've known…_

"What's so funny big bro?" Kent asked, also chuckling and looking from Chris to Sheva. He must've had noticed the hickies as well.

"Nothing _Kenny_," Josh chuckled, and felt a great deal of satisfaction when his younger brother grimaced at the pet name he'd had for him since they were young, "I'm just happy to see such great comrades all in one room again."

He looked back at Chris.

"Welcome to Gamma Team, Chris, and I have to say there couldn't have been a better addition to this team. You've already met my brother, Kenny Stone."

"That's _Kent _Stone, thank you very much!" his brother snapped, "And yeah he has. What's the matter bro, how come he's just _now_ finding out about me? You ashamed or something?"

Josh chuckled. "Only every time you open your mouth."

Without waiting for his brother to reply Josh turned towards the six men that were seated at the splintered wooden table that was in the middle of the room. "These are Jonathan, Tyler, Cole, Mitchell, Jacob, and Zachary."

The six men, all of them varying in ethnicity, looked at Chris and gave him small nods and resumed chatting amongst themselves.

Josh shook his head, turning back to Chris and Sheva.

"Don't worry my friend. Once they see you in action, I'm sure they'll become quite a bit more talkative."

"It's alright," Chris said, waving it off, "As long as they can make it through this mission, just being 'that American guy' is fine with me."

Sheva chuckled. "You really need to give yourself more credit."

Chris smiled at her, "Its fine, really, don't worry about it."

"Well now that that's settled," Josh chuckled, "I'll start the briefing. Please, grab a stool."

Chris and Sheva both nodded, and walked past him, while Kent remained next to him, watching them go take seats near the rest of Gamma Team.

"So bro, what do you think?" Kent asked, "Did our precious little Sheva manage to reel in a damn big fish or what?"

Josh grinned. "That she did, and I personally don't feel she could've made a better choice."

"And the fact that she's… you know… and he's… you know… is that not an issue?"

Josh shook his head, "If it's not to them, then it shouldn't be to us either."

"Guess you're right…"

"Besides, I'd worry less about Sheva's personal life right now, and more about whether or not you're still going to be breathing this time tomorrow little brother." Josh taunted, ruffling up younger sibling's fuller set of hair with hand.

Kent smirked at him, "Well I'd bee damn disappointed if I'm not Josh. That would mean all you've been telling us about how well those two work together is bullshit."

***

The briefing had been all Chris expected it to be.

The infected were still in great numbers throughout the Kijuju region, and there was the significant threat they could once again spread the parasitic plague they held within themselves to other parts of Africa.

Gamma Team was there to make sure that never happened.

They would be going in heavy just as before, and backed by air support should the need for them arise.

Chris' only hope was that they fared far better this time.

Two entire teams had been lost the last time they'd tried to regain this town.

But with those losses, came knowledge of their enemies.

The Las Plagas, or the Majini as they had come to be known as by the locals, were voracious. When they set their sights on you, they would keep coming, and coming.

You would literally have to blow their heads off to stop them, and even then the parasites that dwelled within their human hosts had this nasty habit of choosing such a time to reveal themselves by bursting out of their host's necks.

Chris shuddered just from thinking about all the close calls he and Sheva had been through when enemy they thought they'd finished off revealed a second, even uglier head.

He gasped softly when a hand suddenly grasped his own.

The soft feel of it made him instantly aware of who it belonged to and he looked to Sheva who was staring right back at him.

"Chris, we're going to do it this time," she whispered as Josh continued on with his briefing, "We're going to put an end to this infestation."

Chris nodded and gently squeezed her hand, "I know… you're here with me."

She smiled at him, and it was such a beautiful smile. The comfort it brought, the sheer amount of certainty it made him feel. He so badly wanted to kiss her then, but now just simply wasn't the time.

But later… there would be…

A simple quickie in a damn lavatory, though incredibly satisfying on its own, just wasn't enough for him.

He needed to feel her wet, naked skin pressed against his own again. Hear her moaning as he delved into her unresisting body and watch as she writhed beneath him. And he could see it so very clearly in her eyes that she wanted the exact same thing.

"Alright then," Josh said loudly, snapping Chris and Sheva from each other's gazes and redirecting their attention to him.

"Gamma Team, we'll be moving deeper into town tomorrow morning to begin the mission. I expect all of you to sleep well tonight, so, you've all been assigned shacks, I expect you to get to them. Good night and sleep well, trust me when I say you'll need it."

There was a resounding chorus of "Yes Sir!" from the members of Gamma Team and they began filing out of the butchery.

Kent gave Chris and Sheva a thumbs up, with Chris noting the slightly cheeky grin on the other man's face, and he was out the door.

Chris turned to Sheva, but before he could even open his mouth, she placed her finger over it.

"Just follow me." she whispered.

Chris chuckled, eyes looking lower to her full hips.

He looked back into her russet gems and pulled her finger away. "Gladly."

"Excuse me, Chris?" called Josh, from the other side of the room, "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure Josh." Chris said, and to Sheva he quietly said, "And I damn sure might hold him to that minute."

She giggled. "I'll be right outside… please don't keep me waiting."

"I won't."

Sheva nodded and was soon out the door.

Chris turned and walked over to Josh, who was sitting down.

He looked up as Chris approached and nodded.

There was a sudden moment of silence between the two of them and it didn't take Chris long to realize that keeping his and Sheva's relationship a secret wouldn't exactly be worth the stress it would create.

"So..." he said, "When'd you know?"

Josh chuckled. "About what?"

_So he wants to force it out of me huh? Oh well, might as well get this over with. He's on forty-two seconds anyway._

"About me and Sheva?"

"Oh yes, that." Josh said, chuckling again, "Well, for starters, I would tell Sheva that if you intend to keep a relationship private, then it would be best not to leave lasting marks."

Chris tilted his head "What?"

Josh grinned and tapped the side of his neck.

Chris felt around the area Josh had indicated to him and he quickly found the slight abrasions that were against his own neck.

"Damn…" he muttered, "I hadn't even realized…"

Josh put up a hand to stop him, "Don't worry about it Chris. All I want to know is just how did this all happen."

Chris thought back on the events surrounding his and Sheva's admittance of their love for each other.

He couldn't help but laugh.

"Well…" he began, "she had called me a few days ago, and told me that she was going to get a few days off-duty to visit some friends in America… that's when she also suggested that we get together and spar. One thing led to another and well… yeah…"

Josh looked at him long and hard for a moment.

For a moment Chris thought that wasn't exactly the perfect Cinderella story someone who had practically been a brother to the woman he loved had wanted to hear.

However, his fears were quickly put to rest when a bright smile grew across his fellow BSAA operative's face.

"Even in love it takes a fight for that girl to realize what she wants!"

A wave of relief shot through Chris in that moment and he felt his shoulder slump, not remembering that had even taken a stiff posture.

"So… you're ok with us?"

Josh laughed. "As if you needed _my_ say of all things!"

Chris smiled, feeling like the young kid who's just got the big ok from his date's dad.

"Sorry," he said, feeling slightly foolish.

"Nothing to apologize for," stated Josh, nodding his head, "Now I believe you better get going Chris, I'm sure someone is waiting for you... try not to stay up too long… there's still a very important mission tomorrow."

Chris smirked. "I'll try to tell _her_ that."

***

The crispy chill of night now tickled the air; most of the members of Gamma team had turned in for the night… two in particular however…hadn't.

Chris almost tripped over his own feet when Sheva pushed him through the door to the little shack that she had been assigned to; her sweet, succulent lips plastered against his own as she frantically kissed him, pushing him further into the tiny shack.

"S-Sheva!" he said in-between her frenzied kisses, "Slow down!"

"I can't! I need you!" Sheva breathed, attempting to pull off his shirt herself, "Now!"

Unable to deny that her eagerness was an incredibly arousing, Chris managed to calm her down enough in order to pull off his shirt again.

The second he did however, she was all over him again, now using her hands to feel the solidity of his strongly built frame, making Chris shiver as her hands slid over his arms and chest.

Wanting to show his own powerful passion, Chris grabbed Sheva's hips and easily lifted her up. The nimble woman quickly whipped her legs around his waist and drew him into a deep kiss as she wrapped both her arms around the older man's neck, sighing into his mouth as her feverish tongue danced against his own.

They both gasped, feeling each others' sexes pressing against each other through their clothes; her glistening warmth burning hot against his hard thickness.

"Chris…" Sheva sighed, slowly working her hips against him, "Please…"

Nodding, Chris turned around towards the little cot that had been placed inside the shack, and with her still in his arms, he walked over to it and gently laid her down.

He laid on top of her, planting soft kisses along her neck and reveling in each gasp of pleasure he tore from her supple lips. His hand moved over one her perfectly full breasts and squeezed it through her shirt.

Sheva moaned and gently pushed against him, signaling that she wanted to sit up.

Chris rose to his knees and watched as Sheva sat up and pulled off her own shirt, revealing a black scanty bra that barely contained her nicely sized bust.

Smiling at the sight of her, Chris pressed himself back onto her body just after she had pulled off the bra, revealing all of her supple fullness.

Chris wasted no time in quickly assaulting her defenseless buds, ardently suckling on one nipple while he pinched the other between his fingers.

Moaning loudly, Sheva ran a hand through her lover's hair, gently pulling at his locks, signaling for him to keep going.

Quite frankly however, Chris wasn't interested in foreplay this time around, he needed to have her, feel the intense bliss of her succulent depths as they enveloped him once again.

Reluctantly pulling himself away from her wondrous body, Chris sat up, reached for her pants and pulled them off, taking her undergarments as well in one swift tug.

Sheva looked up at him with an eager smile, "Chris, Now!"

Chris couldn't recall another time in his entire life that he'd ever pulled his pants off so fast, but in the end, all that mattered now was that he could once again experience the unbelievable warm tightness of Sheva Alomar.

With one quick thrust he tried to work himself inside her, but she was even tighter then the first time, her own need and want forcing him to push himself within her inch by incredibly warm and taut inch. All the while, Sheva cried out desperately in her native tongue, legs a crushing vice against his waist as he finally worked his way all the way inside.

Chris squinted, gritting his teeth as he tried to adjust himself to her slickness, groaning as she pulsed around him. But soon, he found himself finally able to pull back, teasing the very end of her with the very end of him before quickly filling her up again with one hard thrust and he continually repeated the motion.

Sheva suddenly cried out, her climax a powerful implosion that constricted around Chris's length like a balmy vice as her body writhed beneath his, but he had not had enough yet, the only thing her climax succeeding in doing was making Chris rapidly increase his pace.

A single thought now dominated his mind. _More. Give her more._

Sheva's hands suddenly found his back, her nails digging into his hard body, drawing a hoarse groan from him and he began to feel an all too familiar sensation bubble its way along his length.

"Sheva…" he gasped, momentarily stopping but only so he could lift up one of her legs and rest it on his shoulder just to push himself even deeper within her.

"Anywhere Chris! Anywhere!" she cried, squeezing him to her body with all her strength, yet another orgasm tearing a scream from her throat, finally pushing Chris over the edge as the intense heat of her walls spasmed around him.

Chris let out loud cry of his own and quickly withdrew from her depths, his creamy essence spurting out onto his lover's stomach.

A shuddering gasp quaked through Sheva as the grip of her rippling orgasm coursed through her and the weighted warmth of his dappled about her skin.

"Ch...Chris!" she called in a hushed raspy voice, looking up at him through glossed impassioned eyes.

A faint sound drifted from her as her lucid orbs fell on his throbbing length as it became drizzled with ivory.

They had been so frantic in their love-making that she wanted more. She wanted more of him, all of him, inside of her and absorb every powerful drop of his milky extract.

But that could come later.

Panting, she led her hand across his back, down his chest and curled her fingers around his pulsing thickness.

A heavy breath swept through Chris and he nearly stopped breathing from the sudden unexpected feel of Sheva's hand stroking him gently; encouraging yet another liquidy propulsion from him.

"Sheva...!" he gasped, thrusting slowly into her moving fist for a moment, before grasping her wrist and pulling it away.

Exhausted, he fell on the cot, closer to the wall so he wouldn't fall on her, and struggled to catch his breath.

Smirking playfully, Sheva situated herself so that they both fit snugly on the bed. Reaching for her shirt, she wiped her stomach and patted his contracting erection. "Sorry about that."

Chris didn't respond at first. His mind was still racing from their frantic endeavor and needed to catch up.

Sheva blinked, her wide eyes ogling him.

"Chris?"

"Uhhhnnn..." he groaned, smirking faintly.

Opening an eye at her, he slung an arm around her waist and pulled her strongly to his side.

She giggled and snuggled upto him, conforming to the curve of his body. "What's the matter? Was that too much?"

"Perfect." he murmured in a goofy and intoxicated tone, gazing up at her.

Sheva took pride in this and smiled. "Thank you. But, that aside, you will have to make sure you're able to wake up in the morning."

"I'll remember that in the morning."

Playfully, she gave him a push. "I'm serious, Chris! We're part of a team." she added, then adverted her gaze as her tone lowered. "And I don't want to lose any more of our brothers if any of us can help it. I shouldn't have to tell you that I wouldn't want to lose you either." she continued, glancing back to him with careful and concerned eyes.

Candidly, Chris returned her expression with one of confidence and security. Lightly, he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek then cupped it.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sheva. As long as you're with me, I know I'll make it."

Hearing this, Sheva smiled warmly and nudged his hand closer to her face with a slender one of her own. Honey-brown sparkled in understanding and determination.

But most of all, with love.

"As with me. I won't _let_ you go anywhere either. But I hope we do our best to protect my people."

Chris was silent. He, and Sheva both, knew that with any raid, there were bound to be casualties on both opposing sides.

But only in the very pounding of the melting instant those sides would battle the other would the reality of who wins and who dies.

No one could make any promises now.

But at the very least, comfort could be applied.

With a sigh, Sheva lightly shook her head and moved his hand to rest on her hip, in which he squeezed lovingly.

"Let's just get some sleep." she resolved and pulled up the sheets to cover them both.

"Yeah..." Chris agreed, hugging her gently and closing his eyes.

Sheva wordlessly stared at his closed lids; countless thoughts and undetermined possibilities plaguing her mind.

And as if he could sense her restless staring, Chris opened his eyes halfway and pulled her into a kiss.

Minutes soon became hours as the two of them both finally drifted off to sleep, encircled by each other's comfort and the afterglow of their most heartfelt embraces.

**

Early the following morning before any of the other Gamma Team members had awakened, Sheva and Chris were already dressed.

They had taken the liberty of preparing their bodies for the task ahead; loading and reloading their guns and practicing their dexterity inside the shack.

They were only able to train for half an hour before a knock sounded on their door.

The couple instantly became silent and listened for who it might be.

Voices. Female voices that neither Chris nor Sheva recognized.

"What is it?" Chris whispered to her, readying his gun as she did the same.

With the threat of Majini still around, one could never be too sure who exactly was their friend or their enemy until the last second.

Precautions had to be taken.

"I'm not sure." Sheva replied quietly and strained to listen. If the ones outside their door were female Majini, they would be killed quickly.

Moments passed and another knock ensued.

Then a name was spoken.

Her name.

Only one voice stood out to her as one of the elders in Kijuju and her features brightened slightly.

Surprised, the young woman questioned the one that called her and laughed in relief when she realized who it was.

"Sounds like you know each other." Chris stated with a thin smile, putting his weapon away.

Nodding, Sheva beamed at him. "I do. One of the elders I've known since I was younger. And other women that helped take care of me are here." she remarked and swiftly opened the door.

A flurry of giggles fluttered about the women and rounds of hugs were given, laced with caring words in their native tongue.

Chris watched them with a bemused expression, unsure if he should even bother to ask what they were talking about or to keep his distance.

Naturally, he chose the latter and waited for Sheva to say something to him.

Glad to be amongst other females for a change, Sheva gleefully began to leave with them, but stopped shy when she remembered Chris was waiting for her.

She instructed the women to wait, then headed back into the shack to a bewildered Chris.

"Sorry about that. I haven't seen them in such a long time. They asked me to go with them to prepare for the mission. A sort of ritual for luck and strength shown by our people."

"Ritual, huh? Sounds like they want to steal you for a bit."

Chuckling, she nodded and slid her arms around him, placing a sweet kiss on his lips.

With a smile, she pulled away and turned to leave. "If the others wake up while I'm away, let them know for me? I shouldn't be gone long! Have everyone meet up with me, okay?"

Smiling faintly, Chris knew better than to argue with her now and shrugged. "Yeah. I will. See you then."

"Bye!" she chirped and rejoined the women, chatting femininely.

Chris silently watched them go until the shack's door closed off his line of vision.

Without her, he was left alone with his thoughts, haunts and memories of their previous mission and possible outcomes of the new one they would embark upon today.

--

To be continued!


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Finally the last chapter! This chapter was written by both me and Ki!_

_It's 55 pages long and has action, gore and of course love. So, prepare yo'selves!_

_--_

Penda Gota

Chapter 5

Nostalgic chants and blissful chatter warmed Sheva's ears as the women of her village dressed and encouraged her for the battle ahead.

Amongst others like her in femininity, Sheva contently shut her eyes. For a moment, she was a child again; recognizing the familiar scents and comfort of her people.

Calloused hands tipped with knowledge and wisdom in their fingers gingerly marked Sheva's skin with the depths of their ethnicity and beliefs in the shape of their tribe's designs.

Transient charcoal kissed her light oiled skin and moved in intricate patterns. A tapered line of elegance, an ancient curve of mother earth and accented dots of courage.

She was no longer just a woman, nor a warrior but a noble entity representing her tribe.

And that alone haunted her.

Aimlessly thoughts wavered into her mind like a phantom, uncertain of the outcome the day would bring, but she forced herself to relinquish them.

If the mission was bothering her this much and it hadn't even begun yet, she could only imagine what images were going through Chris' mind.

Chris...

Thinking of him brought a light smile to her ripened lips and her eyes fluttered open.

The women before her had stepped back to admire and inspect her and giggled amongst themselves.

Sheva nodded to them and quickly looked down at what their idea of fitting attire should be.

And gasped loudly.

She may as have well been wearing string with beads through them, her outfit was so revealing.

'Oh, they have got to be kidding!' she groused in her mind; her eyes briskly skimming over the thin material.

The leopard-printed top reminded her more of a fun-time bikini at best, and the multi-fabricated "skirt" appeared to be no more than a poor excuse for a handkerchief with two feathers barely attached.

Her body tensed and she could swear it was turning red from the embarrassment.

But not wanting to be rude, she gave her thanks to the women, but also asked them about the outfit's necessity.

She was given a reasonable reply and only sighed to herself when her neck was adorned with intricate rings and a rather large bone "necklace".

She could only imagine what Chris and the others would have to say about her lovely new clothing.

Or lack thereof.

And it would seem as if she didn't have to wait long. There was a knock at the door of their hut and the ladies rushed to see who it was.

--

Chris sighed and gave the door another light knock.

He and the other members of the Gamma Team had arrived to meet up with Sheva just as she had requested.

Josh stood off to the side, giving the newer members a quick lecture of how to quickly aim for the Majini's heads while Kent remained nearby, leaning against the small structure.

A cheeky smile was on his face that Chris couldn't read. And something told him, he didn't want to know.

When he still received no answer, he knocked again. "I still don't see why I have to be the one to do this." he mumbled under his breath..

Catching his words, Kent glanced over at him and straightened out his ammo belt. "I think the answer would be obvious for that one. You are Sheva's American--I mean-- significant other, aren't you? Why not be the one to see her first?"

Slightly amused, Chris shifted his weight to one side and faced the other male. "You make it sound as if she's my bride."

"Oh yeah?" Kent questioned, appearing bewildered. "Then perhaps seeing her first is bad luck!"

Chris scoffed. "Yeah, that's a way to start off a dangerous and deadly mission."

"With Sheva, things are always deadly." he hinted with a smirk. "You should already know that firsthand!"

Chris half-smiled and rubbed his bruised neck. "You don't know the half of it." he mused, preparing to knock again.

And no more than a second later, the door swung open and Sheva burst out of the hut.

Shutting the door behind her, she muttered something under her breath and looked up at Chris; the first person she saw.

His mouth hung in an astonished gape and his eyes doubled in size as they took in the lightly dressed woman before him.

Just what was she wearing?!

"Damn!" Chris and Kent uttered in amazed unison.

The remaining team members unanimously ogled Sheva; one out of shock, the rest out of allure.

"Alright alright, stay focused!" Josh scolded.

"Uh, nice rings." Chris dumbfoundedly commented, taking note of the multi-colored decorations around her neck and the bright bangles that adorned her arms.

"And uh...chalky...line...across your nose."

His eyes trailed down to the large longbow she held a bit too tautly in her hand.

"There she goes!" Kent remarked jokingly and nodded to them. "Looking beautiful, as always, Sheva!" he added before hurrying over to his brother and the others.

Sheva groaned and shouted back a retort in her native tongue—though Chris was pretty sure he knew a "Fuck You" in any language when he heard it—then smiled thinly. "I hate this outfit." she groused to Chris.

He blinked. "Uh...isn't it comfortable?" 'To say the least.' he thought.

"It feels like air."

"What's with the longbow?"

Making a face, she looked down at the item. "It's tradition. I don't mind dressing this way for my ancestors and for my tribe to represent them, but that doesn't mean I agree with their tastes."

"I do." Chris smirked, earning him a punch in the arm from Sheva.

"Oh be quiet!" she smiled and quickly hoisted the bow on her back. "Besides", she continued, leaning closer to him to whisper, "You'll probably have your fair share of fun tearing it off later."

"Oh, I already had that in mind." he whispered back.

"So you better not get killed on me!" she pressed, her tone wavering between playfulness and seriousness.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere. Especially when I know you've got me covered. Right partner?"

Honey-brown glistened with one of the most beautiful expressions Chris loved to see; enhanced by the glow of the high sun above.

Hope.

Strong believable hope.

Nodding, Sheva reached out and gripped his shoulder then gave it a reassuring pat. "Right!"

"Ahem!" Josh signaled, clearing his throat.

Giving the other one last lingering gaze, Chris and Sheva both turned to meet the eyes of their leader.

"Yes, Josh?"

"Yeah?"

The darker man's words hushed on his tongue as he beheld the two.

He wasn't sure if they were aware of it or not, but they were making it quite obvious to anyone with a good eye of such things that they'd rather be holding hands and not weapons right now.

Inwardly, he couldn't help but smile.

"Sheva." he called, beginning to loosen one of the extra gun holsters he had.

"What is it?"

"You may need this." he smirked, tossing her the holster with a light Vz61 submachine gun inside.

It wasn't the biggest or most powerful automatic weapon around but the sheer amount of firepower it brought to the table made up for its lack of real muscle.

Sheva caught the weapon and quickly fastened it around her waist.

"Alright, thanks Josh, I'm ready. Let's head out."

Nodding, Josh signaled the rest of the team. "You heard the lady. Gamma Team, let's move out!"

--

Dusty sun baked trails and broken dirt paths led them a fair distance. Their utilities jingled and clinked with every step; the silver of their weapons glinting in the sun.

Josh paced the lead with Jacob, Tyler and Mitchell right behind him. Kent was alongside his brother but found himself more at ease and wary when in the middle of the group.

Sheva and Chris were a bit behind him with Johnathan, Cole and Zachary guarding the rear.

The passage of only half an hour wedged between their progress since they started out and there hadn't been any Majini in sight.

So far, only the sun gave harsh protest to their plight.

"Well, this is one place I never thought I'd see again." Chris murmured as they approached the dilapidated area.

Beyond its vast rickety dwellings and appalling appearance was the sealed off town square; where he and Sheva had been witness to a most savage public assembly.

The execution of the informant, Reynard Fisher.

Regardless of what the man's shady outward appearance, he didn't deserve a communal decapitation.

"This is where everything started." Sheva spoke up, scanning the area attentively. "For us, anyway."

"Yeah, gives me a bad taste in my mouth every time I think about it."

"The informant?" she wondered, glancing up at him attentively.

"Yeah. Him, Alpha Team, Uroboros, all of it."

"I don't mean to intrude, but, what happened here?" Zachary, a thin blue-eyed male appearing to be of Russian descent.

Chris and Sheva exchanged mutual expressions. But he returned his focus to their surroundings while she turned slightly to answer him.

"A beheading." she answered softly with a sympathetic frown.

Zachary blinked and clutched his machine gun tighter, intently taking in each word. "Was it a local?"

"Someone who shouldn't have been mixed up with those monsters." Chris added without facing them and scanning the area ahead of him. "Someone must've have ratted him out when they saw us enter that butcher shop of his we were in last night."

"How terrible." Zachary muttered, however to himself he said, "Our Hq is a freaking butchery!?"

"Ha...haha..." Cole chuckled nervously, gaining odd and piercing stares and glances from the rest of the team. But they continued their venture without stopping.

"What is your problem?" Sheva griped.

"You think it's funny?" Chris glowered at the male, "Sorry, but I don't find getting your head hacked off by a goddamn axe funny."

"N-no. No, s-sir. Haha...ha..."

"He laughs like that when he's nervous." Jonathan, a bulky and dark man, cleared up in a deeply coated French accent.

"Well that doesn't stop it from being annoying, so I'll ask that you stop" Sheva stated sternly.

"What's the matter, squirt?" Kent inquired, looking over his shoulder at a scowling Sheva.

"You're the squirt, you little eavesdropper." she tossed back.

"One of the guys has an ignorant habit." Chris spoke for her, wishing for her and Kent to not break into childish banter.

Not only would it be a distraction and slow them down, but it also made him a tad bit jealous. A very small tad.

Sheva realized his hastiness and gave him a 'what do you think you're doing?' look, but soon shrugged it off.

"Oh yeah?" Kent seemed rather amused and peeked back at the last three.

Both Jonathan and Zachary pointed straight towards Cole shamelessly.

"Oh, I see. Hey, why don't you try something a little less creepy? Whistle or something." Kent called back, then resumed his focus.

"Haha..." Cole agreed, and then precariously puckered his lips.

The sound of his whistling was as pitiful as his ignorance. But it was better than his "laugh".

Minutes passed and their formation tapered a bit to accommodate the changing roads and paths.

Somehow, Sheva ended up being closer to Cole. More than she would have preferred. Zachary and Jonathan had discreetly distanced themselves from him and Sheva knew why.

Briefly, the thought of ramming one of her arrows down his throat to shut him up seemed very satisfying.

But through his annoying sound, Sheva's ears picked up the audible signatures of something different amongst them.

"Be quiet." she spoke softly to him.

"I- I can't if..if I do I'll.... Haha...ha..."

As if a switch had been flipped, Sheva whisked around, her machine gun pointed directly to the left side of his face.

Shaking in his boots, Cole lifted up his hands in surrender. "I--! I-I'm sorry I'll stop!"

"Get down!" Sheva shouted. The second he did, she fired a shot straight into the eye of a Majini that had almost snuck up behind Cole.

Instantly, the rest of the team faced in her direction, weapons at the ready and watched just in time for her to nail the monster with a somersault. The man she'd kicked flopped to ground, head hanging limply on his shoulders.

"Sheva!" Chris called and briskly jogged over to her. He checked over the writhing corpse and stomped on its head, smashing it open.

A spurt of blood shot out, sprinkling over coiling tentacle-like appendages from the neck.

Sheva slightly curled her lip in disgust. As many times she's seen Chris harshly remove their heads, she never got used to its gruesomeness.

"I wish you wouldn't do that." she half-frowned.

"Me neither, but you know it's a good way to stop them." Chris nodded, lifting his boot that was now coated with rich blood as well as other acidic unmentionables.

"Here come more of them!" Josh shouted, already taking aim.

"I'm on it." Tyler announced, leaving the group to access a decent spot to snipe from, quickly scaling up a rusted ladder onto a short, crumbling building.

And almost immediately, suspicious forms emerged ghoulishly from the shadows and charged.

Barrages of shots erupted from the team's respective guns as they ran after the opposing adversaries.

Kent and Josh swiftly took out a group of 5 with their Beretta PX4 Storms, the handguns' rounds easily tearing through their enemies, while Tyler picked off the ones furthest from them as best as he could utilizing a Sako S75 sniper rifle, the antique, yet still useful, bolt-action weapon steadily picking off the team's adversaries. Although Tyler wasn't known for his excellent marksmanship, he kept his team alive and allowed them continued breathing room, and that was good enough for most.

The few Majini that slipped through Tyler's sights were taken out by Mitchell and Jacob, the pair dousing their foes in machine gun fire from their bulky SIG 556s'.

Chris and Sheva were able to hold their own, their past experiences unconsciously leading them to stick close to each other while the rest of the team dealt with their assailants in their own ways. Chris would aim and fire for kneecaps to stun their recklessly charging foes before he would race in and send bodies flying fierce uppercuts.

If that didn't completely finish job, he would quickly stomp their faces in for good measure.

He caught a sudden blur of movement out the corner of his eye and instantly he turned towards his partner.

"Sheva!"

But once again he discovered she could very hold her own.

Reacting quickly, Sheva spun towards the rapidly approaching Majini, slipping an arrow from the leather quiver on her back and piercing the man's temple with one of her arrows before whipping out her machine gun and pelting more oncoming enemies with bullets; their hemorrhaging bodies dropping to the ground in blood-spattered heaps as their dying faces twitched and cried out in inaudible pain.

Their bodies decayed from the inside in addition to becoming unrecognizable masses of smoking flesh as even more bullets ripped their skulls apart.

Zachary and Jonathan covered for Cole while he fought with himself to focus and promptly handle the task at hand.

But his shaking hands caused him to miss-fire three shots from his Beretta into the dirt behind the Majini that was approaching him.

Jonathan and Zachary had twelve of the savage townspeople to deal with and warned Cole when some of them slipped by.

"Ahhh!" he suddenly screamed when one grabbed him by the shoulders.

Fresh sweat sprouted from his forehead and skimmed down his face as he beheld the maw of the Majini open and reveal a hissing monstrosity, the Las Plagas parasite bursting from his attacker's throat and snapping at him with four-pronged jaws.

Corroding saliva thinned into strings, only broken by the snaking masses of obsidian feelers creeping up from the monster's throat.

"Ahhhh! Haaa haaa!!!" he yelped.

"Hold on!" Jonathan called over his shoulder while keeping his eyes on the two cautiously nearing Majini in front of him.

But Tyler had heard his teammate's cry for help and briskly led his scope over to the panicking soldier without a second thought.

He pulled the trigger.

Then paused as he drew in a breath from the hollow click the barrel gave him.

Swearing under his breath, he sat up to reload his gun when shouts from Josh, Sheva and Kent below caught his attention. But he couldn't make out what they were yelling as more Majini poured out from the rickety houses, hollering unintelligible battle cries as they raced in from all directions, stealing their divided attention.

"There's too many of them!" Tyler spat loudly, reloading the rifle.

Hoisting it up on the roof he had chosen, he peered through the scope when something brushed his leg.

Imagining it was some sort of animal, Tyler only shook his foot and thought nothing of it.

Or at least he would've liked to

A sudden tearing pain stabbed at his back and sent a chill down through his stomach.

'Damn it, something got me!' his thought concluded as the culprit grunted in triumph and sank the dagger it grasped in deeper into his victim's body.

Rippling cold steel sliced through his organs and he could hear the crisp sound of tissue breaking as it was split.

A syrupy glob of metal-tasting warmth rose in his mouth and pooled over his bottom lip as he coughed.

Every sound and sight became a sensory blur as his vision wavered. But with the last bit of his ability, he aimed the rifle and shot a bullet straight towards the creature below.

It staggered, the bullet piercing its shoulder, but the beasts in its throat continued to assault Cole.

Figuring this was the best he could do, Tyler, accepted his failure to protect a comrade as well as fully accepted his excruciating death.

As the Majini that took his life gained a great pleasure in hacking away at his body, the rifle slipped from his frigid hands and fell to the dusty ground below.

Unnoticed.

Hands trembling, Cole managed to point his gun to the chest of the rapid Majini and shot him twice before he had to reload. The creature took a nonchalant step back and paused before nearing closer.

"Help me!" he called, his voice cracking. No more than three seconds later, Chris was there and punching the monster square in the solar plexus, whether he'd winded the man or the beast within the man he couldn't tell.

"Shoot it!" Chris instructed to his fumbling teammate.

Startled, Cole jumped and fumbled with the gun before pulling the trigger and shooting.

Fortunately, Cole's aim was true, as he hit his intended target square into the chest again parasite and it let loose a shriek as its host stumbled backwards. Unfortunately, Cole had managed to hit an unintended target…

"Shit!" Chris shouted, grasping his right shoulder and looking back at Cole with a look that could've killed.

"Chris!" Sheva called in concern, blasting the remaining two Majini in nearest her and dashing over to her lover's side.

Without so much as taking a glance at his wound, Sheva cocked the machine gun and unleashed a heavy flurry of rounds in the enemy's body and the parasite that loomed out of its neck.

A disgusting sloppy sound pricked the air from the sound of bullets ripping the parasite from its embedded form and it flopped to the ground writhing in its death throes.

Following suit, the host's body descended to the ground without making a move nor a shudder.

As the dying parasite flailed about, Sheva continued to mercilessly fire rounds into it, tearing the bug-like creature into multiple slimy slabs of the decimated unknown.

Using up a clip, she quickly disposed of it and reached for another one when Chris stopped her.

"Stop wasting ammo, Sheva! I'm fine!"

"You're hurt!" she retorted, not looking at him as she again prepared to load another clip.

Though she was obviously trying to hide it, her eyes twinkled with fury and a strong love for him. Seeing this, Chris couldn't help but crack a tiny smile for her.

Exhaling, he placed his right hand on her shoulder and gave it a pat to show her he could still move it. "I'm fine, Sheva."

But she refused to believe that answer. "Let me see." she demanded.

"I don't think that's--"

"Chris, let me see! Then I'll be the judge of how bad it is or not." she reiterated firmly.

By this time, Josh, Kent and the others had dwindled their assailants' numbers to none and were now giving the debating pair their attention.

Smiling faintly, Josh glanced to his brother and nodded towards Chris and Sheva. "Now do you believe me, Kenny?"

"Kent. And no, not yet. But at least we get see out dear old Shev acting all motherly. How precious!"

Josh sighed. "Stubborn." Then his eyes skimmed over the rooftops.

"Where is Tyler?" he asked.

Mitchell shrugged. "I don't see him. Maybe he had to hide out in one of the houses? There were a lot of these bastards, not good for a sniper."

Josh deliberated on that for a moment. Something didn't seem right. "Go look for him."

"Yes sir." he nodded and set off in search of his fellow teammate.

"I'll go check on Cole." Jacob stated quietly and jogged in the stout man's direction.

But something glinting in the dirt caught his attention midway and he paused to inspect it.

His pupils shrank and his throat suddenly became dry.

It was Tyler's rifle, powdered with brittle dust.

"Captain..." Jacob whispered in shock, then raised his voice, "Captain!!"

Wary of his comrade's call, Josh headed over to him, with his brother following quickly after.

Off in the near distance, Cole discreetly slipped past Chris and Sheva and went to join the others out of curiosity.

"Now, move your hand." Sheva commanded.

Rolling his eyes, Chris did as she requested.

A mild groove was cut into Chris' shoulder, exposing a small collection of red liquid to the sandy air.

Giving it a closer inspection, Sheva placed her fingertips around the wound and squeezed it.

A throaty hiss forced through his gritted teeth from the action and he grimaced. "Well, 'doc', how is it? Think I'll ever play piano again?" he asked sarcastically, anxious for her inspection to be done with.

Relieved, Sheva smiled and reached for two crushed herbs placed in a small tube under one of the thin cloth layers of her "skirt".

"Good. The bullet must have nicked you. The wound is too shallow for it to have passed through." she informed, rubbing the dried flora against his wound until it a good portion of it dissolved.

"Lucky me." Chris groused and sent his hand up to cover the injury when the sudden sound of ripping cloth brought his eyes down to what she was doing.

A rather lengthy piece of fabric was torn from her garment and she wasted no time wrapping it around Chris' large shoulder and tying it tightly against it and the herbs.

Chris said nothing at first; his eyes trailing between her skirt and face.

"You know, you're bound to end up only wearing those two feathers if you keep this up."

"Then stay out of the way of stray bullets, Chris, and I won't have to 'strip' "

Chris scoffed. "That bullet wasn't a stray! It was poorly aimed!"

"Regardless, you still got hit."

He groaned. "Whatever. I'm not arguing about this now."

Sheva sighed. "Fine." she gave in, then looked over in the group's direction.

Her eyes widened slightly as Josh met her gaze with a curt tight-lipped expression and motioned for her to come over.

Nodding, she tapped Chris on the arm. "Let's go."

Minutes passed. Tyler's body had been located. It was hardly identifiable. The only evidence of it being someone they knew was from the BSAA patch that still remained intact.

A few respects were paid but they were lightly worded from those that knew next to nothing about him.

All of the remaining Gamma Team, except for Sheva, tended to Tyler's remains scattered throughout the rooftop and on the ground.

Sitting in the dirt with the weight of the sun on her shoulders, Sheva silently pondered the events that took place.

She expected to lose a team member, but she never expected it to be this soon.

She was thankful she hadn't lost Chris nor anyone she considered to be like family.

Yet, she despised sounding so frigid to herself.

Her liquidy eyes drew invisible insignias in the dirt as they aimlessly fleeted about in thought.

Irving. Wesker. Excella. All of this was their doing.

Yet, despite the fact all those responsible were no longer living, the remaining outcome still gave Sheva no peace.

There were still Majini about. But their existence was bout as expectant around that area now as would a wild zebra or elephant.

Or hyena.

No matter what she, Chris, nor any other team could do, there would always be a lingering threat to someone somewhere.

Sighing, she pushed herself to her feet. No point in dwelling over it..

Unknown to her, the one responsible for her fallen comrade's death had been watching her from afar.

His lanky body had inched towards her in short awkward and stealthy steps.

Blood-crusted blade in his hand, the closer he got, the higher the dagger was lifted.

A prickle of fear licked at the base of Sheva's neck.

Instinctively, her body began to act on its own as she reached for one of the arrows behind her and loaded the bow.

Eying her with crazed curiosity, the Majini smiled crookedly and hurried silently towards her.

Taking her time, Sheva positioned her fingers on the tail of the arrow.

The gap between her and the frenzied beast was narrowing briskly.

Once the Majini was within striking range, he lifted his weapon high; salivating eagerly.

Without missing a beat, Sheva spun around to face it. In a fluidly natural reaction, she pressed her foot into its abdomen, pulled back the arrow and released it dead center into the former man's forehead.

It faltered in its steps and tumbled to the ground, squirming violently.

Lightly pursing her lips, Sheva reached for another arrow and impaled the creature with it, jamming the arrow's tip into the Majini's chest.

Smoothing her hair back out of habit, she sadly exhaled and knelt down to the body.

The disgusting thing was merely possessed after all. All of them were.

Spreading out her slender fingers, she led her fingertips to rest against the grimy skin and carefully turned its head to the west.

Only the dead "slept" that way.

Standing, she turned towards the rows of diseased bodies before her, rotting and carrying a stench the sun only intensified wretchedly.

Silently, with a new emotion swimming in her eyes, she moved towards the ones that still had heads intact and offered to give them a dutiful, peaceful and respectful "slumber".

--

Gamma Team quietly continued on their mission; Tyler's weapon and memento securely in tow on Chris' back.

Sheva walked a little closer to Chris while the remaining new members stayed alert, skimming over each and every direction as they trekked.

The battered path they chose led towards the port.

They passed cautiously through a honeycombed web of metal containers with their weapons at the ready.

Brave warriors that continued to deny the inevitable and refuse the idea of possible death. Denying the fact its fickle clutches could grasp any one of them to be its new victim.

A chill ran through Sheva suddenly and she shuddered, hesitating in her steps.

Chris caught onto her behavior immediately and touched her shoulder. "Sheva?"

"Sorry." she apologized and shook her head.. "It's just...going through these places again like this with the same purpose as we had before... It just feels… strange…but I'll be alright." she commented, gazing up at him and forcing a reassuring smile.

Chris eyes lingered in hers momentarily, trying to read the genuine emotion that hid within them.

"Right." he responded in a distant tone.

Nodding, Sheva smiled a bit broader this time before returning her attention back in front of her. Then glanced downwards. A flicker of dejection ghosted over her features.

More than just that was bothering her and she was aware of Chris realizing that.

Chris.

They had just initiated something deep between themselves just yesterday and already it would seem that Chris was catching onto her ways fast.

She wouldn't be surprised if he ended up knowing her like the back of his hand by sundown.

Casually, Chris snuck a glance over at Sheva just to see if her mood had lightened and was rather satisfied to see a hint of a warm smile laced across her lips.

'I wonder what she's thinking about..' he pondered. And as if she could hear his thoughts, Sheva turned to face him; brown eyes shimmering.

She didn't have to say a word. Chris already knew the answer.

Him.

It took almost all he had not to loop his arms around her waist and tell her everything would be alright.

Wishful thinking…

Instead, he gently smiled back to her. Then, straight-faced, they both focused back on the mission ahead.

In the rear, Zachary became a bit distracted from the previous actions of the couple in front of him. Just watching them caused him to think of home and the beautiful wife and daughter he had left behind for this mission. Then the thought occurred to him, if he was killed, who would care for his family? Damn he wanted to home right about now…

Delving in such worried thoughts caused him to slow in his steps until one of the other soldiers bumped into him, knocking him into one of the containers.

"Hey, watch it!" Jonathan warned, staggering into Cole.

"The both of you w-watch what you're doing! ...Haha..."

Slightly embarrassed for drifting off in his thoughts, Zachary frowned and mocked Cole.

"Oh yeah? Ha-Ha. Take your own, ha-ha, advice!"

Jonathan couldn't help but chortle a bit. "The man's got a point."

"Yeah. The next time you call for help, maybe we won't help you!" Zachary taunted.

"Yeah." Johnathan added, "Because you just might shoot us."

"Some 'thank you'!"

"H-hey, come on, stop making fun of me, alright? I-It was an accident! Haha....ha..." Cole rationalized nervously, then glanced to his right.

He gasped when the careful eyes of Kent stared right back at him. "S-sir! H-How did you get back here so fast?"

Kent only shook his head. "Seriously, you should stick to whistling, Cole." he suggested, then picked up his pace to fall back into his previous place near his brother.

Cole flushed and it only worsened from the sound of Zachary and Jonathan's stifled laughter.

Ignoring them, he started to whistle.

Badly; making them laugh even more.

"That sounds horrible!" Zachary groused, making a face.

"Horrible enough that even a dog would stay away from him." Johnathan quipped

"Come on, enough alread--" Cole started to protest, then trailed off, listening to his surroundings.

He could have sworn he heard the rapid scraping of something against the concrete from behind him.

Trusting his instincts, he turned around, gun raised, but wasn't quick enough to pull the trigger when a raging dog lunged for him. Instead, he flinched and swung the gun as if it were a small club and forced the dog to the ground.

"Ha...haha..." he blanched, looking down at the dog as its head inexplicably split open, exposing the writhing tentacles of a Las Plagas and large unnaturally placed teeth.

Zachary and Johnathan both spun around and felt themselves eat their own words as the dog jumped to its feet; its halved head drooping on either side of its body.

Apparently a normal dog would be appalled by the sound, but it was music to an infested one's ears. Even if those ears were dragging along the ground.

With little hesitation, the three of them started shooting at the animal, propelling conservative shots into its salivating void of a mouth.

The 'dog' let out a shrieking yelp as it was riddled with bullets, and in mere seconds, it was flung backwards by the sheer amount of firepower and landed in a writhing heap before it suddenly went still.

The group lowered their weapons and Kent chuckled. "Stay."

"Ha, good one man. How long it take you to come up with that one?" Jacob lightly quipped..

Just as Kent was giving the stockier man a one-fingered salute, a chorus of howls filled the thickly heated air, shrill predatory voices of fury that came from directly behind the team.

Zachary and Jonathan, guarding the rear, were of course the first to see what was coming, and both their mouths hung open in pure horror.

More dogs.

A lot more dogs.

"Holy shit!" Zachary cried out, "This is why we should have fucking shotguns!"

There were maybe fifteen animals in total, each one larger then a fully grown Doberman, and driven by an unnatural craving to kill all who did not posses the same pestilence as their masters and themselves.

In this case, Gamma Team.

"Everyone! Move deeper into the containers!" Josh shouted.

Chris turned and ran, Sheva right alongside him, as they and the rest of Gamma Team pushed further into the labyrinth of open and closed cargo containers, the ravenous barking of their pursuers behind them all the while.

Desperately, Chris tried to remember how he and Sheva had gotten through this perplexing maze, when a shout from directly above him caught all of his attention.

He looked up.

An infected man dropped down from the container that he'd been perched on like a hunter who'd pounced on his unsuspecting victim, tackling into Chris, catching him completely off guard as he knocked him off his feet. Chris's weapon flew from his hand as he grappled with his ravenous attacker.

Chris thought he heard Sheva shout his name, but between the thunderous hammering of his own heart in his ears and the inhuman hissing of the Majini as it viciously tried to claw out his throat, he couldn't be sure.

The Majini swiped again for his neck, but Chris managed to secure a firm hold on both of the man's wrists before the blow could land. But he knew well enough by now that the threat this creature possessed was still momentous. Almost immediately the Las Plagas parasite exploded from the man's mouth, meaty four pronged jaw snapping wildly at Chris' face.

_Hate it when they do that..._

The Majini suddenly raised its head, preparing for a great lunge, but Chris acted quickly and, releasing one of the Majini's wrists, he gripped his assailant's throat, holding the Las Plagas back from clamping onto his skull.

The parasite let out a wild shriek and the man whom it controlled took hold of Chris' own throat, both combatants trying to choke each other out, but considering the fact Chris didn't have a parasitic organism that could breathe for him, he knew he was bound to lose this contest eventually...

For a moment he considered searching for his weapon, but the thought of either releasing the Majini's throat or wrist for even a brief moment was none to appealing.

_**Shunk! **_

Chris was startled when the tip of a well-shot arrow suddenly pierced through the back of the Majini's neck, impaling the writhing parasite as well. The man's body shuddered once, his grip on Chris's throat flexing momentarily before his entire body went slack, the parasite now hanging limply from his throat.

Quickly Chris tossed the body off of him and rose back to his feet.

Sheva was standing a few feet away, bow aimed to shoot yet another arrow should the Majini had even twitched.

It didn't.

Chris gave her a thumbs-up. "Thanks for the help."

Sheva nodded, lowering her primitive weapon.

Primitive, but still it damn sure got the job done.

Chris looked around for his dropped weapon and found the SIG P226 sitting not too far away from where the Majini had gotten the jump on him.

Picking his weapon Chris walked over to Sheva and looked around.

"Shit… where's the rest of the team? I thought John, Zach and Idiot were behind us?" Chris said lowly, looking for any sign of the rest of Gamma team.

Sheva shook her head, "We must've lost them in all the confusion, lets start looking for them. They couldn't have gone too far."

Chris nodded and the pair proceeded further into the steely labyrinth.

Mitchell H. Barrum didn't have a fucking clue just what the hell he was doing here!

Bugs ripping outta people's throats, dogs that opened up their own goddamn heads!? Just what kinda hellhole was this!?

He looked ahead to Captain Stone and Kent, he and Jacob had been dutifully following their superiors as they raced through this damn container filled maze, but Mitch was starting to have enough of this bull-shit!

He wasn't a track team member, he was a goddamned soldier and—

A series of harsh barks from behind tore his thoughts asunder.

He looked back.

It was the dogs!!

The bastards had followed them!

Oh yeah, how fucking helpful the two "experts" have been!

He looked ahead to his captain and his brother and realized they had yet to notice the dogs…

He also noticed the straight pathway they had so far been running branched off to the right.

_Sorry boss…_

And he really was, but damn it he wasn't gonna try to outrun dogs!

"Jake, this way!" he shouted to his comrade running alongside him, pointing at their escape route.

The slightly taller man looked at where he was pointing and gave him a surprised look.

"What are you talking about!? We can't just—"

"Damn it man!! The boss is a survivor; he's been through this shit already! But if you haven't noticed, people like us don't have such a hot record in this place!"

Jacob only nodded and both men darted to the left, still running as they left the dogs to continue their pursuit.

"In here!" Mitchell shouted.

The men quickly raced into an open container where they sank to their knees, breathing harshly as they tried to regain their composure.

"Goddamn it! That was close!" Jacob gasped

Mitchell chuckled, "Yeah, but we fucking made it so don't complain—"

A harsh growl yet again interrupted him and both men quickly rose to their feet as a dog came to stand in front of their hideout.

"Well looky what we have here." Mitchell growled, aiming his assault rifle at the hissing canine, "Looks like we have ourselves a curious little mutt here…"

That when another dog came to stand beside its pack member…

Then another...

And another…

And another…

Mitchell slowly lowered his gun, mouth gaping in terror as more and more dogs slowly began gathering in front of their open container.

"Oh shit…" Jacob breathed…

Mitchell sighed.

_Fuck… so much for the escape route…_

He pulled two hand grenades from his belt and Jacob looked at him.

It was not a very sane look.

"What the fuck are you doing man!!? The blast will—"

Mitchell only groaned. "You wanna die a man or a meal?" he interrupted grimly, and pulled the pins.

Just as the dogs howled and charged…

The ground-shaking boom sent rapid aftershocks throughout the area, flinging debris and refuse whipping in the team's direction.

"What was that?!" Sheva gasped, shielding her eyes from the sudden explosion as her hair flew wildly about her face.

"I don't know" Chris answered through gritted teeth while standing in front of her to shield her, "But it was definitely too close to be good...."

"Yes..." she agreed softly, fearing the worst. "Let's hurry back to the others."

When they were finally able to find the rest of their team, Sheva feverishly scanned the other team members 'behavior and expressions as she and Chris returned to the group..

Josh and Kent appeared anxious and troubled, trying to decipher the meaning of the blast, while Cole, Jonathan and Zachary threw their focus to them.

"Everyone, fall back and regroup!" Josh commanded, signaling to everyone that saw him.

"Where are the other two?" Kent asked, looking directly at Cole.

"I-I don't know, sir!" he stammered, "W-we all got separated and--"

"Well then let's look for them." Josh decided, "If they're still alive we have to help them."

Silently agreeing with him, the others watched the darker man head briskly towards the containers that harbored the explosion.

Kent glanced towards Chris and Sheva momentarily; a deep set concern reflecting in his eyes, before going to join his brother.

Jonathan and Cole exchanged glances, then followed suit.

Zachary chose to remain where he was.

He didn't bother to bother himself with tending to his other teammates.

Eying his expression, Sheva felt her heart stutter in her chest.

She could tell that he knew.

"They're already dead." she whispered; her words firm with certainty and engorged with remorse.

Hesitantly, she gazed up at Chris, who exhaled heavily.

They had no control over who managed to live and who didn't throughout the team.

While deaths were expected, dealing with them had never been easy for him.

His wary gaze softened as he looked at her, confirming her words. His hand sought out hers and she firmly grasped it, squeezing it tautly.

And he already knew, it had never been easy for Sheva either.

Thankfully, they still had each other.

Zachary's azure eyes glistened with a tint of viridian as he watched their actions.

Movements so casual and dear. Something he felt they took for granted.

Yet they were risking their lives just as he was. Just as everyone else was on the team.

And just like Tyler, Mitchell and Jacob had.

"I'll go get Josh." Sheva spoke evenly, the sound of her voice gradually returning to its original volume and confidence.

But she didn't have to go far, when the ebony male reemerged. The deep frown tugging at his features told her all she needed to know, and feared at that moment.

A moment of silence shifted through the confined area, carrying its sympathy on the wind as dust and beneath the sun as coarse shadows.

"Gamma Team..." Josh began, barely lifting his head.

"Let's go." Chris finished for him lightly, and began heading towards the direction of the port.

Heavy and dragging bootsteps ensued behind him in a dilapidated chorus as the others followed him through the maze of containers.

Yet, Sheva allowed the others to pass her so she was standing at the captain's dejected side.

"Josh?" she questioned, placing a hand on his shoulder and attempting to look into his lowered distant eyes.

The dark man said nothing and merely seemed to stare into nothingness.

Then finally, he nodded slightly and again reassuringly as if to remind himself to keep his composure.

Looking to his friend and "little sister", he managed to give her a hint of a smile that let her know he was going to be alright.

"Come on. We don't want to end up too far behind, Sheva." he stated, starting to walk ahead of her.

"Right." she smiled faintly and hurried after him.

--

The salty air whispered over the slow churning waves, welcoming their approach with its comforting scent.

But the team's combined personas refused to accept the surroundings' gentle beckon and they dutifully continued about their mission.

They had merely reached the center of their travels and already more than half of them wanted to leave.

Strewn across the ground in various places, prone bodies lay unmoving.

"Are they civilians?" Zachary questioned, voicing the first thing that popped into his mind.

Josh said nothing at first, then looked to Sheva and Chris for a definitive answer, knowing they've gone this way before.

"Everyone, stay alert." Sheva announced, readying a bow when Chris stopped her. "Hold on. They may be innocents caught up in an attack."

Lowering her bow, Sheva looked to Chris with wide equivocal eyes.. "Are you serious? You can't actually believe these people were helplessly left alone here!" Sheva scolded. "Remember that girl we tried to save? She turned out to be one of our enemies…"

Sighing, Chris listened to her words, but had his mind made up. "Yes I remember, but there may be a chance these people need our help. If we're not here to rescue any lives that we can, then we may as well stop fighting the Majini now."

"Chris, you remember the last time we saw people like this in this area! Those flying bastards tore through their bodies and attacked us!"

"Sheva--"

"..._Msaada_...." a hesitant voice suddenly spoke up from the near distance.

Chris, Sheva and the rest of Gamma Team looked towards the distressed voice and instantly got on the defensive.

The form of a woman clumsily staggered and swayed as she forced herself to advance towards them.

Her hair was dirtied and her skin was chapped. Her belly was swollen with life.

"... _Msaada._.." she wailed, dragging one of her legs against the granular earth. "_Nipe msaada_!!"

"Oh my god...!" Sheva gasped, her eyes lingering on the woman's rotund stomach. "She's pregnant…?"

"But with what?" Kent piped up, readying his Beretta, "I don't trust her."

"Wait." Chris urged, taking a few steps away from them, "We need to be sure if she's okay. I'll check."

Not believing what she had just heard, Sheva started to follow after him.

"Chris, wait!"

"Sorry, Sheva. I have to do this." he replied firmly. Then he glanced to her. "I know you'll cover me, right?"

Not bothering to argue, Sheva sighed heavily and nodded slightly. "Hurry up."

"Mssada!" the woman cried, outstretching her arms towards the oncoming male.

"Just hold on, you're gonna be ok." Chris called back, nearing closer to her cautiously.

A mere few inches separated them, until the woman suddenly stopped.

Chaffed hands grasped at her abdomen as she doubled over.

"_Mtoto ...! ...Kipeppeo!_" she screamed, causing her body to jolt upright. The swollen skin of her belly rippled before shredding apart.

Chris winced then shielded his face the moment the woman's body was stripped from its standing and fell to the ground in a frail heap.

Splotches of blood and innards showered past him as a writhing parasite propelled from the woman's corpse and took to the sky.

One would think that Chris Redfield had learned his lesson in attempting to help the infected in suspicious situations when surrounded by others that suffered the same fate.

Glancing up at the creature, he swore under his breath and aimed his weapon.. But he stopped abruptly when an arrow pierced through the air and sliced through the creature as well; impaling it into a nearby shack.

Its sloppy remains plopped onto the ground near the woman that "birthed" it.

Drawing in a quick intake of breath, Chris whirled around to find Sheva reclining her weapon. Orbs of honey-brown became hardened under contracted lids as they beheld him; barraging him with scolds of "I told you so!"

A shrug was all he gave her as she and the remainder of the group approached him.

"Next time, try not to be so reckless, Chris." Josh commented, forcing a tiny smile.

"Just doing what's required of me." Chris returned with a nod.

Josh mirrored the gesture, then signaled for the team to follow him.

The others gave him and Sheva odd and distant expressions as they passed by them.

Sheva only returned their gazes with a bemused one of her own. It almost appeared as if she were slipping into thought until Chris turned to look at her.

Then his eyes traveled downward to the lifeless mass of flesh near them on the ground. The flesh that once was the form of a dying woman in need.

Sheva's eyes followed his and softened sadly for a moment.

The woman's body was twisted and torn. Her mutilated face was the only remaining hint that this amorphous thing was once a person.

Glazed dark brown eyes stared off aimlessly into the endless sky. Chapped lips hung in a sobbing frown.

Splashes of dusky crimson laced about her pained features, glistening like dark rubies in the sunlight.

Even in death, her entity still seemed to cry out for her mtoto—her baby; the decimated body of the kipeppeo sprawled and battered next to her.

Sheva felt herself being pulled towards the sight and slowly sank to her knees.

Hesitantly, her fingers extended and lightly touched the anguished silence of the woman's face and tilted it west. Then she lifted her hand and gently slid the rotting lids down over the distressed eyes.

"May you find peace." she whispered and nearly jumped when she felt the firm warmth of Chris' hand on her shoulder.

Staring off into space for a moment, Sheva finally turned to meet his eyes.

A subdued question was tethered between them without words needing to be spoken.

But Chris only shook his head and helped her to her feet.

"We're going to make it, Sheva." he reassured softly; his words having two different meanings.

One declaring they would finish what they had started the mission for, while the other ensured their lives. Together.

Agreeing silently, Sheva gazed into his eyes.

Love and duty looked back at her.

Without realizing, Sheva started to move forward to embrace him, but held herself back.

Although they were lovers now, they were also partners on an important mission and she had to put that first.

And she would have, had not Chris pulled her into him and kissed her.

Openly.

Sincerely.

As if his very life depended upon that one kiss to his lover.

And just as swiftly as they had allowed each other to be absorbed into the comfort and desperation of needing nothing but the other's presence beside them and affection within them, they separated.

And focused on the mission at hand.

Their weapons glistened in the glare of the sun as they began to walk in the direction of Shanty Town; lightly giving the other a reassuring squeeze and tap on the arm.

And leaving more of the slumbering deceased in their wake

--

In record-breaking time, the team finally arrived in their last destination for the Majini removal, Shanty Town.

Almost nothing had changed, at least not to Chris and Sheva.

But there was no time to recollect the ghastly nostalgia that haunted this place as the team had to briskly pick off any opposers that made themselves known.

Before long, the team split up into pairs in different sections of the area, but not too far from the other.

Chris and Sheva, Zachary and Jonathan, Josh and Kent and Cole and himself.

Throughout the battles, Chris and Sheva took notice that several flammable barrels had been returned to a certain location that triggered a rather unsettling memory of the chainsaw Majini that resided there.

Yet, they pushed the memory out of their minds and became immersed in the current Majini fight.

Once they were down to their last one standing, Chris lodged a shot right into the Majini's kneecap, causing it to crumple over and grasp at the wound.

Sheva then gave it a swift kick, forcing it in Chris' direction and he punched it back towards her in which she jumped onto its shoulders and flipped it over, crushing its head in the process.

Climbing to her feet quickly, Sheva shook one leg, attempting to get the redirected refuse off of it.

Chris smiled lightly at this, and she started to toss him a glare when the Majini gurgled and started to move again.

Without thinking, Sheva whipped out the machine gun and unloaded half a magazine into the decaying corpse.

"Sheva! Sheva, that's enough!" Chris remarked, placing his hand atop the gun and removing it from her hands.

"What are you doing?!"

"Keeping you from wasting any more ammo!"

"I do not waste ammo, Chris!" Sheva defended. Poorly. She knew he was right, but refused to go along with it. "Anyway, we need to check on the others. This area seems calm enough now."

"Yeah... for now." he commented, suspiciously scanning the location. "But I can't shake the feeling we're still not in the clear."

As if on cue, two other Majini charged out of a small house a little beyond the large rickety building with their gleaming weapons held high.

Sheva said nothing, but tossed him a glare and snatched her gun away from him.

Hurriedly, she took off running towards the attackers.

Chris started to go after her, but decided she could hold her own against two of them.

And watched as she yet again unleashed too many bullets than necessary into her targets.

Contemplating slightly, Chris headed near her location and glanced up towards one of the transformers.

Once she and the remaining Majini moved back towards its vicinity, Chris popped a bullet into it, sending it plummeting downwards. He had meant to nail only the Majini, but Sheva had gotten close a lot quicker that he had expected.

A loud and surprised shout from Sheva rang into the air as she dived away just in time from the falling transformer and a dying hiss erupted from the falling Majini as a jolt of electricity rushed through it.

"CHRIS!!" Sheva nearly growled, glaring straight at him. "Please watch what you're aiming at! You just shocked me!"

Showing he made a mistake, he flinched apologetically and lowered his weapon. "I'm sorry, Sheva."

"Really?!"

He shrugged. "Yes, really." he consoled, checking her body for any serious damage. She was fine. A little shaken, but fine.

"Next time, be more careful. Charging headlong isn't exactly the intelligent thing to do."

"Hmm..." she smiled slightly in response, her eyes glinting dangerously, "You too." she retorted, heading slowly towards him when the sound of clapping stopped her in her tracks.

Intrigued, Chris turned and Sheva peered over his shoulder at a bewildered Josh and an applauding Kent.

"Amazing 'teamwork'! " he mused, trying to keep his wavering smile.

He was trying to laugh, but due to their recent fatal circumstances, it had nearly drained all the positives out of him.

All of them.

They acknowledged the weight of the awkward mood silently and empathetically amongst themselves.

And reminisced.

How quickly they had joined as a team and were grimly reduced in numbers in an equivalent speed.

And as much as any of them may had wanted to, they couldn't just turn their backs on everything up to this point and run.

They had pursued their mission this far. They had to finish it.

Sheva was the first to slip out of the unanimous trance and survey their surroundings.

Aside from the decrepit and rotting carnage around them, there wasn't a threat in sight.

This was as far as they had intended to go.

Confirming her sights, Sheva turned towards Josh.

"Looks like we're finished here. Doesn't it?"

He agreed. "Yes. But it would be best to make sure of that before we leave."

"Yes."

"And immediately before we seal off this entire area from the uninfected." he continued, "Does anyone have a problem with this?"

"I do." Chris remarked. All eyes were on him. "Can't we contact air support? Just sealing off the area is only a temporary solution to the problem. These things found ways to manipulate humans and animals, it can find ways to pass through a quarantined confinement."

"True, but it's the best we can do."

"But for how long?"

"Until those abominations cease to exist." Kent spoke up.

"We can never know for sure, which is why sealing off the locations they once filled is our best option." Josh continued.

Chris crossed his arms.

Feeling ignored, Kent glanced between the both of them, then to Sheva.

But instead of looking in his direction, her attention was off elsewhere into the distance.

Annoyed from being treated so insignificantly, Kent walked over to a large set of closed double doors and leaned against them.

Sheva had only seen him out the corner of her eye, but her focus was beyond the horizon.

Her eyes mingled within the softening glow of the sun beyond, wishing for it to show some type of sympathy for her fallen brothers.

Its burn only brightened.

Adverting her defeated gaze from it, her wandering eyes fell on Kent.

He was by himself on the door, appearing misplaced in his nonchalant boredom.

A tiny smile betrayed her inner anguish while she looked at him.

He almost appeared like a child to her at times.

Drifting out of her thoughts, her attention fluttered around him and Chris and Josh for any hints of Zachary, Cole and Jonathan.

And as if they heard her thoughts, two of them stepped into her line of vision: Cole and Zachary.

Turning behind them, they grabbed a hold of something she couldn't see due to the placements of the structures around them.

But the moment she sought the darkened skin, she knew it was Johnathan.

But he was limping.

That wasn't good.

With fear swelling in her chest, she jogged over to them and tried to help steady him on his feet.

"How bad is it?" she asked, aiding him at the waist while the others shared his weight about their shoulders.

"Not as good as I'd hoped, but I can still use a gun."

"That's good to hear..." Sheva muttered lowly.

Yet deep down, the four of them knew a man in his condition was as good as dead in their spontaneously hostile surroundings.

Josh and Chris turned to meet with them and do their best to supply him with herbs and sprays.

Kent admonished them mutely.

Everything was falling apart.

Sighing, he folded his arms across his chest and sighed. "How could things possibly get any worse?" he frowned, feigning a joke and cursing himself for thinking of such things.

Not a second later, the telltale sound of a chainsaw revving shot into the air and sent a shock dashing up his spine.

"Kent! Get away from there!" Sheva cried.

The ground rumbled beneath him and he jumped away from the doors and tucked into a roll the very moment it was sliced open in one swipe.

The chainsaw screeched with another rusted rev as the masked Majini that grasped it made his presence known.

'I knew I shouldn't have said that!' Kent scolded himself in his mind. 'This kind of thing always happens!'

Scrambling to his feet, he pulled out his Desert Eagle and took aim.

"What are you doing!?" Sheva called, "Run! Don't shoot it up close!!"

"Don't have to tell me twice." Kent concluded and did as she instructed.

"Here, one of you hold him." she promptly commanded, directing her words more towards Cole and dashed off to meet with Chris and Josh.

"Let's lure him out!" she called to Chris as she ran by and he and Josh quickly parted ways.

The remaining team fired shots at the Majini's back as it loomed towards its prime targets, Chris and Sheva.

Skillfully, they weaved through the array of flammable barrels and spun around in unison with their weapons at the ready: Tyler's rifle and ancestral arrows.

As the chainsaw-wielding Majini swiftly advanced towards them, the daunting couple propelled tactical flurries of bullets and chiseled projectiles into the creature as well as into the barrels when he came within range of them.

A sweeping brush of flame and ash flared up around the Majini and he crumpled to one knee.

Seeing the opportunity present itself, Chris glanced to Sheva. "I'm going in. Cover me!"

"Got it!" she responded instantly and loaded her bow as he sprinted towards the monstrosity and delivered it a sharp uppercut.

As the livid being descended, thrashing to the dirt, Chris replaced the rifle with his handcannon, a large Smith and Wesson Model 500 magnum, and plugged three slugs into its head as his opponent started to stand back to its feet.

Once it did, Chris stepped back and clipped a shot right at its forehead, ripping the grungy cloth from its face and forcing the creature to the ground yet again. A deranged growl escaped it as its body flipped over in the opposite direction, away from Chris.

Only this time, when it stood, it slowly lifted its exposed face to the others, causing them to momentarily pause in their attacks.

Not even the harsh rays of the run shed any mercy and beat down on the misshapen and discolored head of the unmasked Majini.

Its skin resembled thick cracked leather that surrounded shrunken eyes and a hole-infested jaw; giving sight to the squirming Las Plagas that thrived within the Majini's throat as they writhed and slithered confusedly in response to the foreign light.

Its reddened eyes crazily searched the group. Pieces of the parasite tainted by the sun burned and dropped from the Majini's mouth, but he paid it no mind and clutched the chainsaw.

Feeling his stomach churn, Kent grimaced and held his abdomen.. "You are one, ugly motha..."

But his words became swallowed up by the menacing rev of the chainsaw before the Majini took off in his direction.

Startled, Kent shakily lifted his Desert Eagle to the Majini's temple and fired three rounds, while stepping back.

Cole managed to give Jonathan his M29, through the panic, and prepared his Beretta.

"What are you doing with that?!" Zachary castigated, shooting the Majini in the legs in hopes to slow him down.

"I-I don't know! Haha..." Cole meekly replied, firing feebly at the Majini, but miraculously gaining spot-on headshots.

"Where did THAT come from?!" Kent jeered, but was interrupted with a shout from his brother. "Just keep shooting!"

Watching the team, Chris smirked to himself and circled halfway around the Majini and held up the magnum.

"Hey!" he taunted. On awkward legs, the disoriented Majini turned to face Chris. Its hollow maw mimicked a grin; eyes racing.

Falteringly, he took a step towards Chris and revved the chainsaw.

Clutching the grip of his gun, Chris felt a bead of sweat cool at the side of his face and trickle down beneath his jaw. From all the shots the Majini's battered body was taking, Chris could tell the creature was finally beginning to weaken enough to go down in good shot but he was taking a risk, allowing the chainsaw maniac to approach him.

Closer and closer it moved, revving the murderous weapon with each avaricious step.

"....Come on...come on..." Chris muttered in an anxious chant, aiming straight at the Majini's eye.

With a roar, it swung the chainsaw down diagonally right in front of Chris and the second it lifted the weapon into the air, Chris pulled the trigger, releasing a high caliber bullet directly into the Majini's skull with its name on it.

Stopping abruptly, the Majini's hands dropped and the chainsaw fell from its calloused hands.

The writhing parasites within its throat squealed in pain as a third of the Majini's head lolled back from its torn neck.

Eerie hisses spawned from the Las Plagas as the Majini sank to its knees, then collapsed onto its back.

Its glazed eyes contained their frenzied appearance even in death, staring heinously up at the unyielding sun.

A round of relief sounded throughout the team from the victorious defeat.

Chris wiped the sweat from his brow. "Too close..."

"I'll say" Sheva spoke up from behind him, and punched him in the arm. "Don't be so reckless next time!" then her features softened, "But, good work."

"Yeah, I'll say!" Kent exclaimed, and walked up to the couple.

Grimacing, he took a glance down at the flinching corpse. "Not the prettiest face out of these bastards, is it?"

Then flicked his eyes back to Chris. "Why don't you do him, and all of us, a favor and stomp his face in?"

Chris and Sheva exchanged looks, then stared at the man as if he had grown three heads.

"What?!" Chris asked, wondering if he had heard his comrade correctly.

"No, you heard right. I said you should bash his face in. Since you're so good at it and all..."

The bewildered couple exchanged nonchalant expressions.

Sighing, Chris agreed. "Fine..." he half-frowned and stamped fiercely on the Majini's head, crushing it with one mighty blow.

"Damn!" Kent expressed, rubbing the back of his head. "Everytime..."

"You're telling me..." Sheva groused.

Then suddenly, an obscure sound tensed her ears and she held up a hand. "Shh!" she warned, "I hear something...!"

All was silent on her command.

Only the sound of breathing could be heard.

Then voices and a distinct buzzing sound.

A variety of fearful and apprehensive expressions developed across their faces as their ears gradually picked up the familiar sound.

And their hearts and stomachs did somersaults as the sound intensified, then split into multiples; instantaneous recognition broke over them.

They heard not one, not two, but three chainsaws revving in separate locations around them.

Two were close and one was further near the fallen transformer.

"More of them...?!" Sheva gasped and looked to Chris and Kent with reluctance in her eyes. "That's impossible!"

"Apparently not..." Chris griped, scanning the area.

"There's more?!" Kent cried, sulking, "Aww fuck me...."

Just then a wailing shriek pierced the air as a lithe woman wielding a smaller chainsaw slithered out from the same building the previous Majini emerged from.

Her wild hair hung with clumps of dirt and other soiled oddities while her skin shared the same disgusting fashion.

Revving her weapon, she let loose a loud screech towards the building adjacent from the one she stepped out of, beckoning out the emanation of yet another woman.

Her nappy tresses covered the majority of her face like a frizzy cloud atop her head. In her right hand, she held a very rusted chainsaw with a faded pink grip.

Open hearing her sisters, the third chainsaw Majini appeared from the shack next to the building, dragging the weapon with both hands.

The smaller of the three, locks of brown caught the sun in its crispness like a tangled bird's nest as it swept airily atop her shoulders.

All of them were clad in strips of molded cloth to be suggested as modest that made Sheva's lack of clothing look like she was overdressed.

With hungry predatory sounds, the three greeted the other and faced the shocked Gamma Team as the African Chainsaw Sisters.

Dumbfounded, Kent tiled his head to the side. "Awww fuck me sideways..."

"Gamma Team, fall back!" Josh instructed.

Defensively, they all backed up a good distance away from the sisters, pelting aimless shots at them to distance themselves.

Before long, their backs hit the wooden fence behind them.

"What do we do now?!" Zachary inquired, firing impatiently at the sisters.

"Space out as far as you can! But stay close to the team!" Josh commanded.

Through the flurry of shots, Zachary, Cole and Jonathan took their captain's odd directions with precision.

"Will you be alright here?" Cole asked Jonathan, whose weight was started to take a hefty toll on his shoulder.

The dark man wanted to say no, but he couldn't depend on his fellow teammate to be his human crutch for much longer. With a quick nod, he reloaded his gun. "I 'll manage, you go on and do what the captain says."

Cole opened his mouth to argue, but soon decided against it. Setting Jonathan against the fence, Cole gave him a reassuring nod and then ran off to the left.

Zachary dashed to the right.

But neither of them managed to get very far when a sudden burst of random Majini villagers appeared from houses, over other fences and from almost anywhere and flooded the roads in swarms towards them.

Spinning around at the sight, Chris and Sheva couldn't believe their eyes.

Inwardly, Chris felt his stomach flop as a hint of fear licked at his spine.

It was just as his thoughts had plagued him earlier.

_The Majini were voracious. When they set their sights on you, they would keep coming, and coming_.

Just like human weeds.

"Sheva" he called to his partner, with ideas of again luring the larger threats away from the rest of the team while they handled the more easily disposed of Majini.

"Got it" she responded, already knowing of his thoughts.

The two of them boldly sprinted past the swiftly reacting sisters, near the transformer.

Chris pulled out the S75 and began picking of pieces of rotting flesh from one sister at a time, making sure they recoiled from each shot.

They may have had speed, but they still took heavy damage from a hit.

Instead of using arrows, Sheva tossed hand grenades.

Kent and Josh had more than enough hordes of Majini to deal with, but were thankful for the small pocket of breathing room Chris and Sheva left for them to pick off the smaller fries with better concentration.

Cole ended up on Zachary's side before long, aiding him in taking down more of the frenzied Majini.

Zachary held his own very well, aiming his gun with surgeon-like accuracy towards every enemy that ran his way or tried to ambush him from atop the fence.

The team managed to keep up a rather decent fight.

Until the stench of blood lured one of sisters' attention away from her siblings.

When the blaze of one of the hand grenades flared, the sister with the smaller chainsaw trudged towards the building one of her sisters emerged from.

"_Mume?_" she slurred.

Peering down at the ground, her dilated eyes became crazed with fright and she let out a bellowing painful wail before kneeling down.

Reaching out, she slid her hand against the sticky splotch on the ground of where the last chainsaw Majini's skull was crushed.

Brining her hand to her mouth, she throughly inhaled the substance's scent then clenched her fist.

"_Mume!_" she yelped, then snapped her head towards the one that did this to her husband; her partner.

Her glazed eyes settled savagely on Chris. She would make him pay dearly for her partner's murder.

Loudly, she called for her sisters.

Hearing her call, they turned and started to meet with her.

"Oh no you don't!" Sheva shouted and shot an arrow into the back of the mahogany-haired sister within the same instant Chris delivered a critical shot right into the back of her skull; causing her head to rupture and scatter about her in speckled pieces.

Her body fell to the ground with a muffled thud. This only caused the leader of the sisters to wail even louder and fixate her deadly eyes directly into Chris'.

She would not let him get out of this alive.

Right after the other team members significantly reduced the number of Majini that attacked them, their temporary victory was only short lived as more of them sprang up seemingly out of nowhere, and everywhere at the same time.

All of them were running low on ammo.

In a panic of having to reload with five new Majini carefully approaching him, Cole fumbled around in his utilities inventory and pulled out what he thought was a hand grenade.

It wasn't.

Pulling the pin and tossing it aimlessly in Majini group's vicinity, he retreated a ways and covered his ears. "Fire in the hole!!" he shouted.

Before anyone could comment on his bone-headed move, everyone, teammate and Majini alike, became temporarily stunned from the blinding light of a flash grenade.

And a rather potent one at that.

"You moron!!"

He heard someone shout, most likely Jonathan.

Yet, this action proved lucky to the sisters as they dashed through the crowds of Majini, slashing and slicing those that stood in their way to get to the one weakness in the team.

Jonathan.

While the garish light continued to glow brightly, the dark man was openly seen as a sitting duck as he shielded himself from the transient handicap.

In amazingly calculated and definite accuracy, the two swept to either sides of him.

The revving hum of the saws was mildly hushed from the yells and shouts of chaos around Jonathan and he didn't realize how close to danger he was until a searing pain slashed at his neck.

Jumping in his skin, his hands instinctively went up to push the object away but another pain shot up through his spine and pounded into his head from the sudden pierce of a weapon at his waist.

His mouth opened to reveal a cry for help, but the words were stolen from him as his head was severed from his shoulders the same moment his midsection was roughly cut through with incredible strength as if his bones were made of padding.

Triumphant in their success, the sisters howled and cackled amongst themselves.

Their laughter seemed to echo throughout the properties of the light as it began to subside.

The moment it did, Chris and Sheva rubbed their eyes and gradually prepared themselves for anything.

A sudden scream was heard from near the fence, a good ways beyond them.

"What happened?" Chris wondered, risking a step forward, when the sprinting figure of the lead sister rushed through the fading wisps of light, chainsaw raised above her shoulder; eyes wild with revenge and her mouth salivating from the taste of human blood in the air.

With finesse and insanity fueling her actions, she swung the blade of the saw down in one fatal swipe that Chris barely dodged.

Faint indentations of cuts instantly appeared on his skin and he grunted in discomfort.

"Chris??!" Sheva questioned in a fearful hush.

Seeing him jump back as if he had been hurt, her eyes widened, then she felt her body move on its own as she darted towards the sister that attacked him.

Something in the pit of her stomach tightened, as did her fists while she felt her blood bubble within her and shoot through her veins like a drug.

In a second, Sheva lunged herself at the chainsaw sister, tackling her to the ground.

"Sheva, don't!" Chris called to her, but she couldn't hear him.

Her only focus was the squirming Majini beneath her.

"You bitch! I'll fucking kill you!" she cried, swinging heavy and quick punches into the sister's face, forcing it left and right.

In the back of her mind, she made sure to use the method of punching that Chris showed her the other day and produced bone-cracking blows to the wailing woman under her.

Soon a loud snap was heard as Sheva broke the Majini's neck. But she still wasn't satisfied and continued to punch until her knuckles began to numb.

Swiftly, she reached for her khukri and drove the smooth blade directly into the skull of the bloodied corpse.

Clutching the hilt of the knife, Sheva's eyes flickered between the oozing split skull and her hands, panting heavily.

Standing to her feet, she yanked the weapon from the corpse and whisked a glob of blood from the knife to the ground below.

Determined eyes coated with a film of concern looked towards an astonished Chris as Sheva wiped the blade against the cloth folds of her skirt before sheathing it.

"Are you alright?" she questioned, nearing closer to him with a first aid spray in hand.

Absolutely speechless, Chris stared at her in a gape.

"You...You really took what I taught you seriously...!"

"Of course." she admitted whole-heartily, glancing up at him while she tended to his wounds, no matter how minor they were. "Now..." she trailed off, about facing the putrid chaos beyond them, "We have one more nuisance to stop. Let's go!" she urged, taking off towards the remaining chainsaw Majini.

The lone sister, upset over the loss of both sisters, had raised her weapon against more of the minor Majini in her frustration and remorse; sending flailing bodies staggering and collapsing all around her.

She remained close to the fence, stamping viciously atop the scattered remains of Jonathan's dismembered body while smothering any hints of its existence beneath heaps of appendage-less Majini she had sliced through.

Gamma Team could do nothing more than remain a safe distance away from the enraged sister while they witnessed her mow down a good number of their threats on her own.

"What should we do?" Zachary asked, peering over at his captain.

"Just wait and see what she does..." Josh responded, his tone cracking and uneven.

It was obvious how much he was beginning to regret ever assigning the team to such horror and unnecessary bloodshed.

He should have known better than to think this would be a simple extermination mission.

If Chris and Sheva hadn't been along, he was almost certain they would have an even lower headcount.

In the back of his mind, he swore he was only using them, but he forced himself to think of it no longer.

But all of this rested on his shoulders and he would have to answer to these sins.

Alone.

His grip tightened around his sturdy AK-74 and his eyes hardened on the form of the sister before him..

"Move closer, everyone." he directed and they obeyed with minimal retaliation and reluctance.

Chris and Sheva rejoined the team and before long, the 6 of them surrounded the sister as her wild swings brought her directly against the coarse fence.

Cornered, the sister looked around her to find herself trapped.

Eyes racing, they fleeted around aimlessly before falling into the intense gaze of Josh.

His dark eyes harbored a fierce entity she sister recognized all too well.

Imminent death.

With a guttural shout, Josh's command to initiate the sister's execution began.

Flurries of bullets burst from their weapons and showered the Majini with burning pellets of requital vengeance; tearing through her battered flesh and ripping the chainsaw from her hands.

It clattered to the arenaceous earth with her decrepit body following suit back first onto the spinning blades.

With a raging screech of pain, she clawed at her abdomen as the rotating steel punctured through it.

Writhing aggressively to stand herself up from jagged blades, she howled and shouted obscenities to the team hovering above her.

Through her clouded vision, a dark figure stepped forward towards her and pointed a heavy-looking object in her face.

Madly, she began to snap at it with her mouth, causing it to split in separates, encouraging the emergence of the obsidian parasitic tentacles within her being.

The object inched closer to her and once she felt a small coldness press against her forehead, her motions became more hostile and frenzied as she tried to slap the thing away from her with dying hands.

But her efforts quickly became useless as a sudden blast of molten fire erupted from the cold and burrowed deep into her skull.

She felt her body jolt sharply from the propelling combustion and her body betray her as it began to sink limply onto the rusted teeth of the chainsaw.

A faint glittering of gold swallowed by endless sapphire blue was the last thing she saw before her evanescent vision escaped from her; and stagnant black was all that engulfed her.

For her and every other lost soul stripped bare during the mission, eternal sleep was where they would find true peace.

--

Gamma Team's mission had finally reached a disconsolate cessation.

They regrouped back to their base at the Corner Pyamy Butchery; most of them having difficulty facing the grungy establishment and refusing to step foot inside.

And Josh couldn't blame them.

After discovering Jonathan's remains strewn about, masked by decaying corpses of the Majini that had attacked them, Josh lost his resolve and ruefully ordered the team to leave the area.

All of the ground they covered would be sealed off permanently so that no innocents could get in and no infected could get out.

But after squeaking by that nightmarish reality, everyone on the team felt infected.

With guilt.

Hours passed.

Zachary and Cole were among the firsts ones to separate themselves from the group and catch the first flights out of Africa.

Josh and Kent were the seconds to part ways from their teammates.

The brothers embraced Sheva in strong hugs that she mutually returned as well as to Chris.

They had all become part of the family now.

With words of sympathy and encouragement towards the future unknown, the two brothers left the couple, heading home outside of Kijuju.

Then, all became silent as Chris and Sheva were the only signs of life within the area.

The next flight back to America wouldn't be for another few hours.

And if things went the way Chris had set in his mind once they arrived in Africa, he would be going back on that plane alone.

Although, he considered staying in Africa with her, but not even all the love in the world could prepare him for the atrocities they would have to face living in such a hazardous area. Granted, they could always move to another location. Africa was nearly as vast as the sky was endless.

Wordless, Sheva turned to her deliberating lover. His dusky blue eyes were lost in the gray clouds above; a thoughtful expression on his face.

Her features softened a bit.

He was so fixated on whatever oddities that went through his mind, he didn't hear the question she had asked him.

A rather important question.

Drawing in a breath, she lightly touched his shoulder. "Chris? Chris...!"

"Huh? What?" the bewildered male blinked, then recomposed himself, "What is it, Sheva?"

The caramel-toned woman said nothing; light honeyed opals searching his foggy blue spheres.

With a sigh, she dropped her hand to her side and turned her back to him. But instead of answering, she led her eyes upto the churning sky and held out her palm.

A droplet of liquid fell from the sky and planted a soft kiss atop her open hand and hugged its side while dribbling downwards.

"It's starting to rain." she stated, a bit relieved they both would be able to rid their bodies of the day's obscenities.

Acknowledging the sight, Chris glanced to her. "Feel like going back inside the shack?" he offered, the hint of a smile curving his lips.

As much of a tempting offer that was, Sheva had to turn it down. "No, Chris, I'd rather not."

"Aww..." he trailed off, his tone mock dejected.

Watching him behave like a small child, Sheva couldn't help but giggle at him.

Lightly, she tapped his shoulder to get him to look at her.

"I have a better idea." she confirmed and looped her arms around a broad one of his and tugged him towards the east.

--

The light drizzle expanded into a warm misty downpour, playfully taunting the wavy grass beneath their sprinting feet as they made their way through a grassy field.

The feathery pasture rose to their calves, brushing against their swift bodies while the rain dappled their bare skin with each article of clothing that was removed.

Hearts racing in the beat of the moment, and eager to relieve themselves of their cloth trappings as well as the emotional ones uprooted during their mission; sending them to dissolve into the air.

The intricate accessories and threaded marks of Sheva's tribe slipped from her form in three quick movements from Chris' earnest hands as his clothing was whisked away by the lightening in her hands.

Both nude, they enveloped the other in a taut loving hug that not even the rain could slither between.

Immersed in the comforting familiar tactility of the other, the two clutched the other even tighter; their love transitioning into some equally precious.

Unyielding concern.

"Chris..." Sheva called softly to her lover.

"Sheva..." he replied huskily, gently raking his fingers through her drenched ponytail.

The band that held it in place had already started to unravel. Carefully, Chris removed the band, freeing her thick locks to be enveloped in the rain's cascade.

"You know..." the young woman began, lightly brushing her fingertips against his back, "I was afraid I could have lost you back there."

Deep blue aimlessly wandered as Sheva's words were pondered upon momentarily.

Lightly, his fingers etched comfort into her liberated tresses as his lips thinned to an empathetic line. "What did I tell you, Sheva? I promised you we were going to make it. I always keep my promises. I already knew that you'd be alright."

"Oh, did you?" She responded inquisitively, slowly peeling her body away from the comforting solidity of his chest. Shoulder length locks draping over her caramel shoulders like a dark curtain, her clear eyes sauntered upto his curiously.

"Why is that?" she wondered, her lips forming a tiny smile; eyes glistening. "Because you were with me?"

"No. Because you're strong, Sheva."

"Well, I have a good reason to be, Chris." she taunted.

A tender and somewhat arrogant smile snuck across Chris' lips as he led his hands down to her rear and pulled her closer.

"Mind telling me this reason?"

"No." Sheva replied, her voice dipped an octave as she grasped him by his shoulders and pulled him into a much sought after and powerful kiss.

In actuality, neither of them prepared for their current spontaneousness; Sheva had come to this place for a different reason than he thought she had.

But overall, they both came to a sensuous agreement with each other beneath the showering sky that bore witness to their actions.

The rain sprinkled graciously against their groping bodies as Sheva pulled Chris down into the grass with her.

Laughing, the two of them shared a sweet, tasteful kiss as warm as the evening drizzle.

Hands clutched onto the other as eager hips rolled in rapid succession and hungry anticipation.

"Mm...Chris..." Sheva moaned in between breaths, "I need you. Now. Right now."

Slightly awed by her words' urgency equivalent to how it was the night before, Chris slowly pulled himself away from her endearing clutches just enough and let her hands slide down his chest.

And delve even lower.

His breath hitched in his throat from her desirable touches tickling the line of curls that trailed down his abdomen.

Her fingers venturing further still, the sudden hiss of a withheld moan was all it took to bring an accomplished smile to her face while she curled her feathery touch around his pulsing length.

Gripping the grass and ripping separates of it out of the ground, Chris moved his hips in rhythm with her brisk strokes, trying his best not to pin her wrists above her and blindly plunge into her without cease.

He wanted to enjoy being with her; wanted them both to enjoy being with the other.

But from the way her hands felt wrapped around him and teasing him the way she was, it was very difficult to keep that will-power.

Enchanted from her touch, Chris' vision wavered before his lids whispered to a close.

Watching him, Sheva chuckled inwardly to herself from being able to please him simply by giving such a small gesture.

Slowing in her ministrations, she rolled the pad of her thumb over the tip of him and gave his thick length a squeeze.

A surprised gasp tore from Chris and his eyes shot open. Through a dizzy haze, he peered down at the woman beneath him just as she led him to the apex of her folds, beckoning the delicious swell of the small nub that resided there.

A wave of moans drifted from their mouths and they repeated the action until Sheva led his eager endowment towards the core of her dribbling heat.

While greedy for the feel of her walls clutched tautly around him, Chris took his time, readying her even more with short paced thrusts.

Gradually, he felt more of him sink deeper into her inviting moistness and exhaled coarsely.

Dazed, his glossed eyes traveled over the voluptuous form of his lover.

His beautiful lover; a siren lying in an ocean of dewy flora. Her wild dark tresses encircled her head like a crimped halo, enhancing the inscriptions her body and composed face bore.

So beautiful.

So perfect.

All his.

Silently, Chris' eyes tapered as his eyes absorbed her and drove one solid thrust deep within her.

With a pleasurable shout, Sheva immediately sat up and grabbed Chris by the shoulders and wrapped her legs around hims waist.

"Chris, please! Do it now!" she instructed impatiently.

A hint of a smirk played about Chris' mouth at her urgency. He would have playfully scolded her about not having patience yet again if he had not been so focused on appeasing her.

And without a second thought, he slipped his broad arms around her back and hugged her close while bring her up and down on his lap.

A slur of Swahili sprouted from her mouth as she hung her head back, riding him briskly.

The descending rain around them only heightened in density as it poured down upon the earth with powerful propensity.

A power that both Chris and Sheva easily rivaled and shouted their proven exclamations of their delectable copulation to the heavens above.

After Sheva's first orgasm passed, Chris laid her on her back. His arms still tightly encircled around her back, Chris shut his eyes as her constricting walls threatened to flood him out.

A throaty sound thrived in his throat as he thrust rapidly into her; every movement mercilessly striking against her sensitive button, making her scream his name and swear in three different languages.

The silky grass grazed against her bare body; nuzzling softly against her cheeks; her features contorted with ecstasy.

Hot sweat mingled with the tepid rain.

Muscles rippled and tensed with each sensuous tremor that coursed through them.

Moans turned into pants and intoxicated cries of the others' name as their climaxes neared closer.

Lost in the depths of her, Chris lifted both of her legs onto his shoulders and leaned forward so that his lips rested about her neck.

Clawing at his back, Sheva let out another cry, rain pelting her tongue, and clung to him as best as she could as another orgasm weighted her abdomen.

"Ch-Chris!" she called breathlessly and kissed him roughly on the lips.

A low moan caught in his throat and he fiercely kissed her back.

"Sheva... Sheva I'm...!" he grunted against her lips.

Knowing he was reaching his climax, Sheva tightened her legs in a vice grip around his waist.

"You're not going anywhere this time. Come inside of me, Chris!" she ordered.

She felt him hesitate; his only retaliation a ragged breath.

"It's alright!" she cautioned, "Please, Chris."

His body tensed from the blooming sensation that demanded to be released.

All he could do was trust Sheva.

With a stammering groan, Chris pressed his mouth hotly against Sheva's as his entire being shook from the powerful ultimate that spilled into her, rivaling the froth she released.

Still hugging her tightly, Chris felt his body continue to expel its milky essence while his thrusts slowed.

Both catching their breath, Sheva pried herself from being latched to Chris and allowed him to collapse into the grass beside her.

Rolling onto his back, he spread out his arms and turned to her.

Hair disheveled, her eyes remained closed while her chest heaved.

A look of pure satisfaction laced her features and Chris couldn't help but smile.

After a few moments of regaining much needed oxygen, Sheva turned towards Chris; eyes bright.

A broad smile spread over her lips.

Laughing, she threw herself at Chris' chest and snuggled upto him.

He instinctively draped an arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer into an embrace.

"I love you, Chris." Sheva spoke suddenly.

Glancing over towards her, Chris brushed his lips against her forehead, then stared up at the rain.

"I love you too, Sheva."

"You know..." she started, eyes slowly closing, "I wanted us to come to this place, because there was a spring nearby."

"What kind of spring?"

"A cleansing one. I wanted the two of us to wash the pain of this day away together." she stated, gingerly voicing the word 'pain'. "But, the weather helped more than I thought."

Chris scoffed. "Is that the only thing that helped?"

She giggled lightly at this. "No!" she playfully scolded, tapping him on the arm, careful of the healing wound he had there.

"Uh huh... Hey, Sheva..."

"Yes?"

"You've been doing that a lot lately."

She blinked. "Hmm? Doing what? Oh! This?" she questioned curiously, patting him on the shoulder again.

He nodded. "Yes, that."

"Does it bother you?"

"No. Not yet, I should say. Is it some type of practice?"

Laughing, she reluctantly pulled out of his embrace and climbed to her knees.

"_Penda gota_." she smirked.

Perplexed, Chris sat up and looked to her. "What??"

Chuckling, Sheva leaned in close, being sure to peer directly into his smoldering eyes.

"_Penda... gota_... Or in other words, a 'love tap'... Partner!" she teased, poking him in the chest.

Chris stared blankly at her for a moment. A bewildered look on his face. "O...kay. _Penda gota_... Alright."

"Yes. With a little more practice, you'll be able to say it like a native."

"Imagine that..." he trailed off as a previous thought made itself known to him yet again.

"So, Sheva, what's next on your agenda? I guess you're going to stay here in Kijuju, huh?"

"Hmm?" Sheva questioned, appearing a bit more astonished than he ever thought she would have been.

"Oh, Chris, didn't I tell you?"

"...No" he said at first, then sighed, "Tell me what?"

Her eyes glistened as she beamed. "I'm transferring into the American Branch of the BSAA. Starting today."

Taken aback, Chris could only stare at the woman. Standing to his feet, he bent down and scooped her up into his arms.

"Chris!" Sheva laughed, "What are you doing??"

"Well, seeing how you're going to be spending a lot more time in the states, we may as well get all the excitement we can here in Kijuju. Now... where did you say that spring was again?"

--

IT'S THE FRIGGIN' END! Finally!

-Mel


End file.
